How frontline health staff could help smokers quit
●
FRONT-LINE NHS staff in Halton are being urged by Public Health England (PHE) to receive training to help them deliver effective stop smoking advice.
The latest figures show the burden to the NHS in England from smoking is £2.6bn.
In 2015-16, there were 78,270 people in the North West who ended up in hospital due to smoking attributable conditions.
The region boasts an average smoking attributable mortality per year of 13,382 – the highest in England – while 40,146 died due to smoking between 2013 and 2015.
NHS England is investing almost £600m in Commissioning For Quality And Innovation (CQUIN) schemes, including one which focuses on identifying and supporting people who smoke or who drink alcohol at higher risk levels.
Under the scheme, additional funding is being made available to hospitals that help their patients to quit smoking.
PHE is encouraging all healthcare staff to undertake a 30 minute online course, provided by the National Centre For Smoking Cessation and Training, based around short film clips providing examples of how very brief advice can be delivered to patients including key facts, figures and messages.
PHE North West health and wellbeing manager Tasneem Choudhri said: “Every year smoking costs the NHS in England a staggering £2.6bn and in the North West alone causes around 13,000 deaths.
“And for every death, a further 20 smokers are suffering from a smokingrelated disease.
“Smokers respond well to healthcare staff giving advice and as health professionals we have a duty to take every opportunity to help end the needless, preventable misery and suffering smoking causes.
“A truly smoke-free NHS isn’t just about banning smoking on hospital grounds, it’s about healthcare staff doing all they can to encourage patients and visitors, as well as colleagues to lead by example, to stop.
“The good news is that the training is easily accessible and effective.
“We’re seeing record breaking successful quit rates this year.
“Most smokers want to quit and all healthcare staff should seize the moment and be ready to intervene and have that crucial chat about smoking.”