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** 24 June 2025
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** UK
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** Opinion: Government’s draft NHS 10-Year Plan criticised as unrealistic (#1)
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** New vision for NHS foundation trusts and integrated care boards set out in government plan (#2)
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** Worcestershire hospital stop smoking scheme delivers major health and cost benefits (#3)
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** International
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** WHO report highlights global progress on tobacco control is stalling (#4)
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** WHO urges stronger regulation of tobacco and nicotine products (#5)
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** Parliamentary Questions
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** Written questions (#6)
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** UK
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** Opinion: Government’s draft NHS 10-Year Plan criticised as unrealistic

In an opinion piece written by HSJ editor Alastair McLellan, the government’s leaked 10-Year Health Plan is described as deeply flawed and disconnected from the realities facing the NHS. The draft plan claims that major reforms—shifting care into the community, scaling up prevention, and deploying AI—can be achieved without additional funding, despite promising fewer beds and staff than previous pledges.

McLellan acknowledges some promising ideas, including governance changes for foundation trusts and integrated care boards, but argues the overall strategy is heavily reliant on overambitious assumptions. Much of the burden for transformation is placed on the NHS App, envisioned as a comprehensive AI-powered tool for patients and clinicians alike.

McLellan argue the plan lacks the realism needed to meet the scale of current NHS challenges, particularly after years of underfunding and the impact of the pandemic.

Source: HSJ, 23 June 2025
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** New vision for NHS foundation trusts and integrated care boards set out in government plan

According to the HSJ, the government’s forthcoming 10-year health strategy proposes a significant overhaul of foundation trusts (FTs) and integrated care boards (ICBs). From 2026, new FTs will be authorised by a Department of Health unit, replacing the current regulator, and will no longer have governors, with alternative ways to involve the public and staff introduced. The highest performing FTs will be allowed to become integrated health organisations (IHOs), managing the full health and care budget for their local populations.

ICBs will undergo major governance changes, with elected mayors or their representatives replacing local authority leaders on boards, and NHS providers removed from decision-making roles. Boundaries for ICBs will be adjusted to align with combined authorities. The plan also encourages ICBs to expand the provider market through competition and stronger contracting, including increased private sector involvement, especially in deprived areas.

NHS regional teams will remain but will not become independent authorities; instead, they will coordinate system-wide changes and focus on supporting struggling providers.

Source: HSJ, 23 June 2025
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** Worcestershire hospital stop smoking scheme delivers major health and cost benefits

A hospital-based stop smoking service in Worcestershire has led to strong early outcomes, with more than half of participants quitting within a month. The programme, open to all adult inpatients and pregnant women, has reduced readmissions, freed up bed space, and saved the NHS over £250,000 in its first year. A dedicated maternity support team has also seen encouraging results. NHS England awarded the initiative a top quality rating for reducing health inequalities and involving patients in care design.

Source: Worcester Observer, 24 June 2025
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** International
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** WHO report highlights global progress on tobacco control is stalling

A new report from the World Health Organisation has revealed that global efforts to reduce tobacco use have slowed.
While many countries have adopted at least one form of tobacco control measure in the past decade, the report highlights that increasing taxes, considered the most effective measure to reduce tobacco use, has seen the least progress. Just 15% of countries have implemented strong tobacco tax policies.

Speaking at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, urged governments to raise tobacco taxes both to curb smoking and to compensate for falling global health aid.

Andrew Black, from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, warns that the fight against tobacco is being undermined by a lack of funding. He urged governments to turn to domestic sources—especially tobacco taxes—to fill the gap.

Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of ASH, highlighted out that 134 countries have yet to act on tobacco taxation, which she described as a “significantly untapped” source of both public health progress and revenue.
Source: The Independent, 23 June 2025

See also: WHO - WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2025: warning about the dangers of tobacco ([link removed])
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** WHO urges stronger regulation of tobacco and nicotine products

The WHO has raised concerns that the widespread promotion of vapes and other new nicotine products could jeopardise decades of public health progress. Speaking at a global conference in Dublin, WHO officials called for stronger regulation of newer nicotine and tobacco products including vapes, heated-tobacco products and nicotine pouches, and highlighted that many of these products are aggressively marketed towards young people.

Officials called for health warnings on all nicotine products and higher taxes on tobacco products to curb use and protect future generations.

Source: The Guardian, 23 June 2025

See also: ASH - Vaping: what you need to know ([link removed]) | BMJ - E-cigarettes risk “renormalising” smoking, says major new WHO report ([link removed])
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** Parliamentary activity
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** Written questions

Asked by Jim Dickson, Labour, Dartford
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, what his Department's planned timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals to introduce new regulations to help reduce the appeal of vapes to children.

Answered by Ashley Dalton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care), Labour, West Lancashire
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children, to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.

The bill includes a range of new regulation-making powers for the Government. Proposed regulations will be consulted on and subsequently laid. They will be implemented as soon as possible after the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has received Royal Assent.

The new age of sale restrictions for nicotine pouches will come into force six months after Royal Assent.

Source: Hansard, 23 June 2025

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** Asked by Jim Dickson, Labour, Dartford
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when age of sale restrictions will be brought into force for nicotine pouches.

Answered by Ashley Dalton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care), Labour, West Lancashire
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately promoted and advertised to children, to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.
The bill includes a range of new regulation-making powers for the Government. Proposed regulations will be consulted on and subsequently laid. They will be implemented as soon as possible after the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has received Royal Assent.

The new age of sale restrictions for nicotine pouches will come into force six months after Royal Assent.

Source: Hansard, 23 June 2025

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** Asked by Jim Dickson, Labour, Dartford
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prohibit the free distribution of nicotine vapes to children.

Answered by Ashley Dalton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care), Labour, West Lancashire
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will end the current loophole which allows free samples of vaping and nicotine products to be given away to anyone of any age. This will come into force six months after Royal Assent of the bill.

Source: Hansard, 23 June 2025


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** Asked by Andrew Rosindell, Conservative, Romford
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54690 on Tobacco: Excise Duties, whether her Department has undertaken analysis on the reasons for the 10% fall in tobacco duty receipts.

Answered by James Murray, Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury) Labour, Ealing North
HMRC publishes commentary on tobacco duty receipts with the Tobacco Bulletin - Tobacco statistics commentary April 2025 - GOV.UK ([link removed]) . The 10% decrease in tobacco duty receipts between 2023/24 and 2024/25 was primarily driven by falling cigarette and hand rolling tobacco receipts.

The Office for Budget Responsibility also discuss drivers of tobacco duty receipts in relation to the tobacco duty forecast on their webpage - Tobacco duties - Office for Budget Responsibility ([link removed].) . Receipts are driven by inflation (CPI and RPI), real household consumption and underlying trends in tobacco consumption. The downward trend in tobacco consumption has accelerated in recent years, partly reflecting changing attitudes and the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes.

Source: Hansard, 23 June 2025

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** Asked by Lee Anderson, Reform, Ashfield
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of US tariffs on Chinese vape products on the level of illegal Chinese vapes entering the UK.

Answered by Ashley Dalton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care), Labour, West Lancashire
We are closely monitoring the impact of the tariffs introduced by the United States, and are prepared to act in the best interests of the United Kingdom, as shown through the Economic Prosperity Deal signed with the US in May. No assessment has been made of the specific impact of US tariffs on Chinese exports of vapes to the UK.

The Government is concerned about the access to and availability of vapes to children. This is why, alongside the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government is investing £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 in Trading Standards. This will support the enforcement of illicit and underage tobacco and vape sales in England and the implementation of the measures in the bill.

Furthermore, in October 2026, we are introducing a new Vaping Products Duty which will provide civil and criminal powers for HM Revenue and Customs to assess for duty and seize products and equipment used to produce or transport illicit products.

Source: Hansard, 23 June 2025
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** Asked by Cat Smith, Labour, Lancaster and Wyre
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the four out of 10 cases of cancer which are preventable.

Answered by Ashley Dalton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care), Labour, West Lancashire
The Government recognises the importance of primary and secondary prevention, to reduce the number of people with cancer.

There are significant national programmes across vaccination, screening, and education, which have the potential to support both reductions in cases of cancer, and increases in early diagnosis rates. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has led to a substantial reduction in cervical cancer cases. All children aged 12 to 13 years old in England, those in Year 8, are offered the HPV vaccine, and NHS England is taking action to increase uptake, as outlined in the NHS Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan. In addition, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme provides all women between the ages of 25 and 64 years old with the opportunity to be screened routinely to detect certain types of HPV infection, which is the cause of 99.7% of cervical cancer.

Smoking is the cause of 72% of all lung cancers, and in response to this, the Government is committed to creating a smoke-free generation through the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the country.

The Government and the National Health Service also recognise that a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the biggest risk factors of certain cancers. To address risks related to overweight and obesity across the United Kingdom, the Government has laid secondary legislation to restrict advertisements of less healthy food and drink products, and is taking steps to ensure the Soft Drinks Industry Levy remains effective. In England, to promote physical activity, the NHS’s Better Health
Campaign signposts people to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app. The Department will continue to work across the Government to understand how to reduce alcohol-related harms in England and the UK. The Government and the NHS recognise the importance of physical activity for the prevention and management of long-term health conditions.

The National Cancer Plan, planned for publication later this year, will set out how we will fight cancer on all fronts, from prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and research.

Source: Hansard, 23 June 2025
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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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