TAL completes first year of national skin check initiative

• Leading life insurer, TAL, brought its pop-up skin check clinic, TAL SpotChecker, to five iconic Australian locations over the 2017/18 summer providing 1,330 free skin checks 
• More than 1 in 2 people (51%) had their first ever skin check at TAL SpotChecker and 95% of people said they will now commit to getting regular professional skin checks
• Together with RFDS, TAL aims to provide over 27,000 Australians across the country with a free professional skin check 

Australia’s leading life insurance specialist, TAL, provided free professional skin checks to 1,330 people across Australia this summer through TAL SpotChecker, a series of pop-up clinics offering TAL customers and the general public free skin checks from skin cancer doctors.  

Of the Australians that visited the TAL SpotChecker clinics, more than 1 in 2 people (51%) had their first ever skin check and 95% said they will now commit to getting regular professional skin checks. Additionally, 24% of all people that visited the clinics were referred for further testing.

TAL General Manager, Health Services, Dr Sally Phillips, said the response from TAL SpotChecker shows the importance of raising awareness around early detection alongside prevention when it comes to sun safety. 

“TAL wants to spread the message that skin cancer, one of Australia’s most common cancers, is easily treated if detected early. Australians need to be vigilant not only in terms of sun safety but also in getting those annual checks to identify any changes to moles that can signify melanoma. 

“We’ve seen an alarming number of referrals come out of our TAL SpotChecker series, with almost 1 in 4 needing more tests, emphasising the need for further awareness of the importance of regular professional skin checks as well as self-checking in early detection of skin cancer. 

“When comparing the referrals across each location*, we found that the southern cities had the most referrals with Adelaide reporting the highest figure of 36%. 

“Our figures are even more concerning when put in perspective with TAL’s earlier research, which showed 71% of Australians haven’t had a professional skin check in the last year and 39% had never had a professional skin check. 

“In the coming months we’ll continue working with our brand partner, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), to provide skin checks to over 27,000 Australians,” she said.

TAL SpotChecker originated from TAL’s CEO-sponsored annual Innovation Challenge, an initiative that seeks to promote innovation at TAL.

TAL SpotChecker visited five states over the summer, providing 324 skin checks at Bondi Beach, 189 at Surfer’s Paradise, 338 at Federation Square, 231 at Henley Beach and 248 at City Beach. TAL SpotChecker encourages Australians to embrace sun safety and commit to an annual professional skin check.  

For more information, visit www.tal.com.au/tal-spotchecker.

*Full breakdown of TAL SpotChecker results