Skin Cancer Referrals To Island Clinic Rise By 22 Per Cent

Referrals for suspected skin cancer to an Isle of Wight dermatology service have risen by 22 per cent in the past year.

The Lighthouse Clinic in Newport says it is now seeing around six times as many people as it did when it took over the Island's NHS dermatology service 13 years ago.

The clinic's general manager, Malcolm White, says the latest increase is significantly higher than would normally be expected.

He also believes greater public awareness is encouraging more people to get changes to their skin checked.

"The rates of melanoma are going up," he said.

"But the bigger percentage is to do with the public awareness."

Mr White said the Island is particularly vulnerable to skin cancer because of its older population and higher levels of sun exposure.

He said sun damage is the main cause, with serious sunburn during adolescence increasing the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

More people getting changes checked

The 22 per cent increase refers to referrals to the dermatology service, rather than confirmed cases of skin cancer.

Mr White said many people are referred because they have noticed a change in their skin or a mole and are unsure whether it could be significant.

He said maintaining awareness was important because a fall in referrals could mean some cancers are not being identified.

The Lighthouse Clinic has been stepping up its awareness work over the past two years, including taking trained staff to community events to offer skin checks and provide information.

Its outreach work has included the Garlic Festival and Chale Show, while the Royal Isle of Wight County Show is being considered for 2027.

Staff have also visited hospitals, councils, businesses, charities, emergency services and schools across the Island.

More cancers being caught early

The clinic says there has been an eight per cent increase in the number of melanoma cases it is seeing at an early stage in 2026.

Mr White said identifying high-risk cancers earlier can make a significant difference to patients' prospects.

The aim, he said, is to identify cancers at stages one or two rather than stages three or four, when the disease may have spread.

He said the clinic had seen people in the past who were diagnosed at a much later stage of the disease.

Mr White added that the increase in earlier diagnoses was a sign that the awareness work was having an impact.

The Lighthouse Clinic is operated by a community benefit society and says it reinvests its resources into healthcare, education and other initiatives intended to improve health and wellbeing on the Island.

The organisation took over the Isle of Wight NHS Trust's dermatology service 13 years ago, initially operating from St Mary's Hospital before moving to its current base on Crocker Street in Newport.