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** 21 August 2025
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UK


** NHS England tightens requirements for new five-year local plans (#1)
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International


** EU: Spain’s proposed vaping restrictions face backlash over trade concerns (#2)
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** US: Talk show host critiques contradictions in US health policy under Maha movement (#3)
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UK


** NHS England tightens requirements for new five-year local plans

NHS England has issued new guidance requiring all NHS organisations to produce five-year plans that are not only integrated but also “credible, affordable, and deliverable”. The plans, covering 2026-27 to 2030-31, must be finalised by the end of 2025 and updated annually.

Boards are expected to be actively involved in shaping and challenging plans, rather than simply signing them off. NHSE stressed that integration alone is not enough - plans must reflect evidence and realistic financial and operational conditions.

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHSE are currently working to define multi-year priorities based on the 10-Year Health Plan and spending review. These will inform funding allocations due at the end of September.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) will lead on system-wide strategy and resource allocation, while trusts and providers must create detailed delivery plans in collaboration with partners. Providers are also required to review their financial positions and contracts by the end of September, as NHSE moves away from block contracts.
Further guidance on neighbourhood health planning is expected later in the year.

Source: HSJ, 21 August 2025
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International


** EU: Spain’s proposed vaping restrictions face backlash over trade concerns

Spain’s Ministry of Health has proposed a new bill that would significantly tighten regulations on vaping products and nicotine pouches, including a flavour ban and caps on permitted nicotine content. The Spanish government argues the changes are aimed at protecting public health, however several other EU member states have raised concerns about the proposal.

Seven countries, including Italy, Sweden, and Greece, have formally objected, citing concerns around trade barriers and the free movement of goods in the European single market

The EU Commission Directorate General for Health and Food Safety has expressed reservations about the proposals, noting concerns about public health and regulatory inconsistencies, such as relying on incomplete chemical lists to ban harmful substances. However, the Spanish government has so far declined to make changes.

Source: The European Conservative, 20 August 2025
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** US: Talk show host critiques contradictions in US health policy under Maha movement

On the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver explored the "Make America Healthy Again" (Maha) movement and its influence on US public health policy under Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. While recognising that the movement includes people with genuine concerns about diet, toxins, and chronic illness in children, Oliver highlighted inconsistencies between Maha’s stated goals and the actions taken by the administration.

He raised concerns about key figures advising Kennedy, particularly Calley and Casey Means, whose claims about diet and disease oversimplify complex medical issues. Oliver also criticised recent federal policy changes, including cuts to school food programmes and nutrition assistance, as undermining public health despite rhetoric about cleaner living.

The show further noted the administration’s rollback of vaccine research and replacement of immunisation advisers with largely unqualified individuals. Oliver argued that while some of Maha’s critiques of the food system have merit, the broader approach is more ideological than evidence-based, resulting in policy that weakens health protections rather than improving them.

Source: The Guardian, 18 August 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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