Health insurance customers could soon get pill to stop sunburn

Private medical insurance customers could soon find themselves simply taking a pill to protect against harmful UV rays.

Sunburn is a common problem in the UK and the sunscreen industry is a lucrative one.

But putting on lotion before heading to the beach could soon be a thing of the past as a team of researchers from King's College London are investigating the possibility of creating a pill that acts as a sun blocker.

Scientists from the university are investigating the genetic and biochemical processes that allow some corals to protect themselves against summer sun.

Lead researcher Dr Paul Long said: "We will not know how much protection against the sun it might give until we being testing.

"But there is a need for better sunscreens."

Recently, Dr Susan Blakeney, an optometric adviser at the College of Optometrists, said that failure to wear sunglasses during the summer months can lead to lens and retina damage, which can in turn lead health insurance customers to develop cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.