Presidents of the medical royal colleges, the chair of council of the RCGP, and over 800 doctors, health professionals and academics are calling on NHS England to ensure that tobacco dependence treatment is provided for every smoker cared for by the NHS, as part of the long-term plan.
In a letter to NHS England’s chief executive Simon Stevens, published in the BMJ today, they point out that treatment for tobacco dependency is one of the most cost-effective healthcare interventions, with the potential to produce substantial in-year savings by reducing demand on the NHS.
Professor Andrew Goddard, President of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), said:
It is vital that tobacco dependence treatment for all smokers is part of the NHS long-term plan if we are to ensure the sustainability of the NHS and the wider social care system.
It is vital that tobacco dependence treatment for all smokers is part of the NHS long-term plan if we are to ensure the sustainability of the NHS and the wider social care system
Professor Wendy Burn, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) said:
Smoking rates are much higher among those with mental illness compared to the rest of the population. Therefore, it is crucial as part of meeting the government’s commitment to parity for mental health that there are effective and comprehensive treatment services in place to meet their needs.
Professor Lesley Regan, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said:
Pregnancy is a significant opportunity to help women stop smoking, so improving the health of the mother, her baby and the wider family that she influences. Reducing smoking rates is also key to achieving the Government’s goal of halving stillbirth and neonatal deaths by 2025. The NHS needs to ensure all pregnant smokers have access to evidence based support that will help them stop.
We know that smoking can lead to many serious, long-term health conditions that present in general practice on a daily basis, and cost the NHS billions of pounds a year
Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said:
Rates of infant mortality in England already lag behind other comparative wealthy nations and if the status quo remains, they are predicted to rise to 140% higher than comparable wealthy nations by 2030. Maternal smoking is one of the leading modifiable risk factors for infant mortality, so if we are to eliminate this disparity we need to do much more to support mothers, and other family members, to quit smoking.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:
We know that smoking can lead to many serious, long-term health conditions that present in general practice on a daily basis, and cost the NHS billions of pounds a year. We also know that smoking cessation services can help to reduce our patients’ dependence on smoking, so it’s important that this is reflected in the forthcoming NHS long-term plan, in the best interests of our patients’ long-term health and wellbeing, and the NHS as a whole.
