Posted on: 12 January 2018
MPs in Westminster heard this week how the NHS and local councils across West Yorkshire and Harrogate are joining forces in a trailblazing approach to reducing the prevalence of one of the region’s biggest killers.
Cancer is the biggest cause of death from every illness in every age group in West Yorkshire and Harrogate, expected to affect one in two of the population born since 1960. There are currently more than 330,000 smokers in the area, and lung cancer is the most common cancer affecting local people.
Professor Sean Duffy, who leads our Cancer Alliance, was invited to speak at a Parliamentary launch of the NHS Smokefree pledge as a result of the specific approach being taken in the West Yorkshire and Harrogate area.
NHS organisations signing the NHS Smokefree Pledge are making a commitment to help smokers in their care to quit and create smokefree environments that support them to do so. The Pledge has been developed by the Smokefree Action Coalition and endorsed by Steve Brine MP, the Public Health Minister; Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England; Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England, and other health leaders.
Professor Duffy explained at the launch how the Alliance is taking the lead on tobacco control, as a key element of its work to prevent cancer and cancer-related deaths. He told MPs attending the launch that the West Yorkshire and Harrogate health and care partnership, of which the Alliance forms part, had recognised the importance of working together across public health, which is managed by local councils, and NHS providers, who have the opportunity to support the thousands of people who come into contact with services every day.
A comprehensive tobacco control plan, led by an Advisory Board, comprises a four-pronged approach, namely:
Helping tobacco users to quit, through support in doctors surgeries and community services, as well as hospitals and treatment centres and ensuring high quality stop smoking services are consistently available everywhere.
Reducing exposure to secondhand smoke
Effective marketing and communications, linking in to national campaigns where appropriate
Effective regulation (including tackling illicit supply and demand) with links to Trading Standards across West Yorkshire.
Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which manages both Pinderfields (Wakefield), Dewsbury and District and Pontefract Hospitals, was flagged at the launch as a particular example of good practice around smoking cessation and creating a smokefree environment.
It works closely with Yorkshire Smokefree, a highly regarded service provided across the region by South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Said Professor Duffy: “Lung cancer is our commonest cancer and biggest killer, so supporting people to stop smoking is therefore a key commitment for us in both reducing cancer incidence and preventing recurrence. That’s why our Cancer Alliance is applying a unified, system-wide approach to all its activity, recognising the importance of both NHS organisations and our public health teams in local councils in tackling this problem.
“This includes implementing the so-called ‘Ottawa model’ which has been shown to increase the rates at which healthcare providers advise and assist smokers to quit; increase long-term smoking abstinence rates and reduce the longer-term pressures on the NHS, as well as reducing numbers of deaths attributable to tobacco use.”
Scott Crosby, Public Health England, on behalf of the WYH Cancer Alliance, said: "We’re the worst in England when it comes to smoking. However, we want to be the best and to make sure the next generation of children born and brought up in our region never start smoking and grow up free of the terrible health harms associated with tobacco. It’s great to have strong, consistent support from our NHS locally and to be able to work with them to help make that happen.
“Our ambition is to see over 100,000 fewer smokers by 2021 and to see the next generation of children to grow up protected from the health harms of tobacco, in a place where smoking is unusual.”
Rob Webster, lead Chief Executive for the Partnership, said: “Reducing smoking, particularly for vulnerable people and those with mental health problems, will reduce health inequalities and save lives. But we can only deliver our pledges by working together and this pledge is a recognition of the power of our Partnership.”
To read the press release about the launch of the NHS Smokefree pledge, visit the Smokefree Action Coalition website and download a copy.