Programme Launch Webinar – Treating Tobacco Dependency

In partnership with Health Innovation East Midlands, we are launching a new programme to tackle tobacco dependency.

This programme aims to optimise the existing NHS Model Tobacco Pathway by identifying opportunities to increase patient engagement with stop smoking services, smoking cessation medications, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in both hospital and community settings.

A hospital stay can be a pivotal moment in a person’s life, when individuals may be more open to making healthier choices. Smoking remains one of the leading causes of preventable death in England, with around 64,000 people dying each year from smoking-related illnesses. For every death, it is estimated that a further 30 people live with serious smoking-related diseases. While smoking is most commonly linked to lung cancer, it is also associated with 15 other types of cancer and more than 100 additional diseases. Overall, two out of every three smokers will die from a smoking-related condition.

Smoking prevalence is higher in populations with higher levels of deprivation. Tackling smoking therefore remains the single most important modifiable factor in improving health and reducing health inequalities.

Although there has been a significant national decline in smoking rates, about one in ten adults in England still smokes. Progress to reduce smoking levels is slowing. Without targeted interventions to strengthen and optimise existing pathways, the government’s ambition for England to become smokefree by 2030 will not be achieved.

Working in collaboration with NHS trusts and local authorities, the Health Innovation Network will enhance current pathways by integrating and improving digital patient messaging systems and pathways. This will help ensure that every patient has equitable access to smoking cessation support both during their hospital stay and at discharge.  At the same time, non-digital inpatient pathways will be strengthened to ensure all patients who smoke are consistently identified and supported to access stop smoking services throughout their hospital stay.

Recognising that not all patients will be ready or able to engage with support while in hospital, the programme will also improve discharge pathways to ensure continued opportunities to engage with smoking cessation medications and support for those who choose to quit once they return home.

Join our forthcoming lunchtime webinar on Friday 12 June to find out more about our programme, how your local services can get involved and hear from national speakers supporting this work.

Guest Speakers:

• Professor Sanjay Agrawal, National Specialty Adviser for Tobacco Dependency at NHS England; Chair of the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory group and Consultant in Respiratory and Intensive Care Medicine
• Matt Evison, Clinical Lead for the Greater Manchester regional tobacco control programme ‘Making Smoking History’
• Claire Mellon, Programme Manager (Prevention), Leicester City Council
• Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive, Action on Smoking and Health
• Dr Mark Juniper FRCP FFICM, Clinical Lead, Treating Tobacco Dependency Programme, Health Innovation Network; Medical Director Health Innovation West of England; Consultant Physician, Great Western Hospital; Clinical Coordinator, NCEPOD