CIRCLE Health Group, which runs the The Hampshire Clinic in Basingstoke, has donated another £10,000 to British Skin Foundation, bolstering vital melanoma research.

This support marks the second year running that the leading Hampshire healthcare provider has extended their backing to this life-saving cause.

The financial support dates back last year when CHG first contributed to the British Skin Foundation’s skin research program, responding to the statistic that two out of three residents in Hampshire will face a skin condition in their lifetime.

Melanoma skin cancer, the fifth most common type of cancer in the UK, is one such condition showing an alarming increase.

Predictions now suggest as many as 26,500 new cases annually by 2040.

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The group's previous donation, already having a substantial effect, is funding crucial research to develop advanced ways of detecting this potentially fatal skin disease.

Adam Busby, group clinical director at Circle Health Group said: "The British Skin Foundation are at the forefront of research into skin conditions like melanoma. We know first-hand the difference research like this can make to the lives of our patients.

"As a hospital operator, we are committed to supporting improvements in the understanding, research and treatment of skin conditions. We are proud to be playing our part in supporting future generations."

British Skin Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Patey OBE said: "Research is the core of what we do here at the BSF, but it doesn’t come cheap. Thanks to generous supporters like Circle Health Group, we can fund top quality research with some of the UK’s most talented scientists – finding the cures and treatments of the future."