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Number of pregnant smokers in Blackburn with Darwen revealed
New NHS England figures for the former NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG show 213 of 1,929 mothers were smokers (11 per cent) at time of delivery in 2022-23. Falling below targets of six percent or less.
Professor Linda Bauld, co-chair of the Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group, said helping more mums-to-be quit smoking spares dozens of families from losing their baby to stillbirth or miscarriage, as well as easing pressure on vital NHS services.
Dr Clea Harmer, co-chair of the group and chief executive of the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity is also quoted saying "We are deeply concerned that the government has missed their target of six per cent or fewer pregnant women smoking by 2022 and isn’t on track to achieve it until the 2030s.
Dr Harmer states that the government urgently needs to publish a comprehensive strategy to tackle smoking among mums-to-be and added it should include a levy on tobacco companies.
The Department of Health and Social Care said it is committed to reducing smoking rates, particularly among pregnant women and that a smokefree treatment pathway will be introduced for pregnant women by March 2024 where women who smoke will be referred for specialist support.
"Women who receive incentives are more than twice as likely to quit as those who do not and schemes like this help women to engage with stop smoking support and remain smokefree throughout their pregnancy."
Source: Lancashire Telegraph, 4 July 2023
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Letter: ‘Nanny state’ fears are hobbling Britain’s health
In a letter printed in the Financial time from David Sinclair, Chief Executive, International Longevity Centre UK argued that ‘if we want to reduce pressure on health services, we need to invest more in health prevention measures and public health strategies.’’
He cites smoking as an example: ‘’Smoking is a leading cause of ill health and disability but we are failing to invest sufficiently in helping smokers quit.’’
‘’The economic benefits of such an approach are indisputable, yet this government has increasingly shied away from such measures for fear of being seen as a “nanny state”.
He ends by simply stating ‘’Healthier people enjoy longer and more productive working lives. Indeed, if no one smoked, there would be an economic boost of over £19bn a year.’’
Source Financial Times, 4 July 23
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Two million illegal vapes seized since start of 2022
Illegal vapes seized in the first four months of 2023 were seven times higher than seizures in the entirety of 2021, with enough for almost four to be sold every minute.
These range from products that do not comply with UK regulations and have not been through the appropriate testing to ensure safety, to counterfeits of popular brands.
The number of illegal vapes seized in the UK this year is said to be over double the number of counterfeit cigarettes.
Source Talking Retail, 3 July 2023
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Lung cancer survival gains celebrated ahead of NHS’s 75th birthday
The chances of surviving lung cancer for at least five years have more than doubled in the last two decades. In 2005, only nine percent of people who received a diagnosis were expected to be alive five years, this figure has now risen to a fifth.
However, lung cancer is still the UK’s biggest cancer killer, claiming around 35,000 lives each year.
NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer, Peter Johnson says ‘’ Thanks to advances in treatment and care alongside NHS awareness campaigns, survival rates in this country are now at an all-time high…This is really encouraging progress, but there is still so much to do to save more lives – and we will not stop here’’
Advancements that would continue improve survival rates include new ‘lung vision’ technologies which allow doctors to examine lungs without the need for biopsies.
Professor Mohammed Munavvar explains that 75 percent of UK patients already have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis, so tools such as lung vision stand to make a big difference as they enable earlier diagnosis.
The NHS has also rolled out targeted lung health checks delivered by roving mobile clinics for people at highest risk, including smokers. More than 300,000 people have benefitted from tests delivered in trucks since the scheme’s 2018 launch, leading to over 1,750 cancer diagnoses.
Cancer research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, is also quoted as saying “To ensure our health service is fit for the next 75 years, and that all patients get the world-leading cancer outcomes they deserve, we need to transform cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
“Given smoking is still the biggest cause of lung cancer, this must also include plans from the UK Government to make smoking obsolete.”
Source: Daily Express, 5 July 2023
Editorial note: Smokers diagnosed with lung cancer who quit double their survival rate. ASH and Nottingham University have published a report on evidence for embedding smoking cessation within Targeted Lung Health Checks which would improve both prevention and treatment of lung cancer: https://ash.org.uk/resources/view/the-role-of-smoking-cessation-services-within-the-targeted-lung-health-checks-programme
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Sajid Javid calls for royal commission to compare healthcare abroad to ‘frozen’ NHS
Former health minister Sajid Javid states Britons are sicker than in many other western countries due to NHS failings.
Javid argues that the health service is “frozen in time” and needs fundamental change.
Figures last week from the King’s Fund think tank highlighted that Britons consistently die earlier than people in comparable countries as a result of poor healthcare. Javid calls for a Royal Commission to address the ‘politicistion’ of the NHS and come up with solutions.
Javid says an inquiry should consider ideas such as a greater focus on preventing illness, rather than treating it. He told Times Radio: “The NHS is very much, think of it as a national hospital service, it looks after you when you have become ill.
“There is a lot more than can be done as a country on trying to prevent that in the first place or slow it down.
“We know what the biggest killers are out there, it is obesity, smoking, alcohol and drug addiction. Other countries have a much broader joined up approach to prevention.”
Source The Independent, 4 July 2023
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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