Spot check events
Our dedicated melanoma Nurse Educator travels the country, providing education and awareness about melanoma and enabling New Zealanders to have free skin cancer spot checks.
We publish the locations of our spot check events approximately three weeks in advance in the calendar below.
If you have any spot that you are concerned about, please don’t wait for one of our spot check events to come to your town – seek medical advice immediately.
Spot check event locations.
What is a spot check event?
Our Nurse Educator provides free skin cancer spot checks and education about melanoma at spot check events nationwide, helping Melanoma New Zealand raise awareness about the importance of early detection and prevention of melanoma.
The spot check events are a great way to engage in conversation about the importance of early detection, but please note that our Nurse Educator will only check up to 3 spots. This is not a full body check, and a diagnosis is not provided. Regular, full body skin checks by your GP, dermatologist, surgeon, or plastic surgeon are still recommended.
As these events are open to the public, spot checks are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. If you can’t be seen, you can book an online consultation with our Nurse Educator by clicking here.
Our Nurse Educator often travels in the Melanoma New Zealand Spot Check Van – a superb educational resource critical in our fight to save lives.
We also have our fantastic new Pop-Up Pod, which can be used at both indoor and outdoor locations.
If you have a sizeable organisation (20+ people) that might benefit from a visit, please complete the enquiry form here.
Early detection saves lives
Our spot check events are held all over New Zealand so we can reach as many people as possible, including rural and remote communities, where many people work outdoors and may be at higher risk of developing melanoma. To date, we have seen:
Spots checked
Suspicious lesions (BCC, SCC or other suspected cancerous lesion)
Suspected melanomas
If melanoma is recognised and treated early enough it is almost always curable.
The Spot Check Van saved my life. Mum went with me and waited outside the van while I got checked, and as soon as the Nurse Educator, Gill saw the mole on my arm, she gently told me that it looked suspicious, and that I needed to go to my doctor. She was really professional, but also so warm and supportive; I felt that even though I was being given some challenging news, I wasn’t alone in that moment. Gill’s wonderful manner kept me calm, but also made me very aware that I needed to do something.
– Sarah Dixon
Spot check event FAQ
What is the Spot Check Van?
The Melanoma New Zealand Spot Check Van is a fully resourced mobile clinic, which travels to communities around New Zealand. It is staffed by a registered and experienced dermoscopy nurse, who provides educational material about melanoma prevention and early detection, and who will examine up to three spots of concern. Clinical notes will be referred to a GP.
Can I get a full skin check at a spot check event?
We do not provide full skin checks during our spot check events. The purpose of the event is to provide information about melanoma prevention and early detection and to offer a check of up to three spots. Melanoma New Zealand recommends regular full body skin checks by your GP or specialist. You can check skin check providers near to where you live here.
What can I expect from a spot check event?
You might come aboard the Spot Check Van or visit our Nurse Educator at a specific location where they will be set up with a private space for you to ask questions about melanoma while you get some spots checked. You will learn about the characteristics of melanoma, how to protect your skin and what to do if you have any suspicious lesions.
Spot check event support & volunteer
Some people look sideways at the van and its message. These are the ones I try to talk to, as they are often worried about something but are afraid of bad news.
With encouragement, they’ll come closer and say, “My wife’s worried about the spot on my back” or, “My father had melanoma and I’m scared that’s what this is, but I don’t want to find out”.
They come out of the van with relief written all over their faces, and even for those whose check revealed a spot which needed following up, they now have an answer and a plan.
It’s satisfying to support the important work the Spot Check Van and Melanoma New Zealand are doing.
– Katherine Clayton
Book a Spot Check Visit
I am just so grateful I was in the right place at the right time.
– Delwyn Hardgrave
