View this email in your browser ([link removed])
** 2 December 2020
------------------------------------------------------------
** UK
------------------------------------------------------------
** Delays freeze a third of lung cancer screening schemes (#1)
------------------------------------------------------------
** HMRC plans tough action to tackle illegal tobacco trade (#2)
------------------------------------------------------------
** Yorkshire: Playground smoking is set to be banned by City of York Council (#3)
------------------------------------------------------------
** UK
------------------------------------------------------------
**
Cancer screening programmes designed to save hundreds of lives have been delayed by up to a year as services struggle with staff and equipment shortages, according to an investigation by the HSJ. Of the 14 Lung Health Check Programme sites announced last year, four — or just under a third — have either halted programmes they had started or delayed beginning them, with some now expected not to be operational until after March. NHS England confirmed “activity had resumed” in nine areas while one has started this month, meaning four areas remain out of action.
The areas chosen for the scheme activities, which often involved mobile computed tomography units in vans, have high rates of late diagnosis lung cancer. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February showed CT scanning of high-risk groups led to a 26% reduction in deaths in men and between a 39 and 61% reduction in women.
HSJ has established that Hull CCG’s programme, which started in January, was suspended to “focus staff resources on expanding critical care facilities, whilst maintaining other urgent care and cancer services”. It will not restart until “early 2021”. Data on GP two-week urgent referrals for lung cancer services to Hull University Teaching Hospitals Trust show there were 174 so far this financial year, down 46% from 324 in the same period last year.
Doncaster CCG and Newcastle Gateshead CCG had both been due to start their programmes this year but have had to delay them — Doncaster until spring 2021 and Newcastle Gateshead until some point between January and March next year.
HSJ has also established that Southampton CCG suspended its programme in March but was able to restart it in August. Meanwhile, Tameside and Glossop CCG said it had not been due to start its programme until February 2021.An NHSE spokesperson added that Thurrock CCG’s programme was due to start in December and should be “operational” on “15 sites” by the end of March 2021.
Under the programme, primary care compiles a local list of potentially high-risk patients who are then invited to meet a specialist lung cancer nurse and, where appropriate, given a CT scan. This can take place in mobile units in supermarket car parks, but not always. However, many of these specialist cancer nurses will have been redeployed to other parts of the health service in response to the pandemic.
Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer and one in which the disease develops most rapidly. Survival rates drop from more than 85 per cent for cancers detected at stage one to 20 per cent for those detected at stage four. A UK Lung Cancer Coalition report last month estimated there could be an extra 1,372 deaths from lung cancer due to the covid delays, on top of the 28,000 a year normally expected in England.
Source: HSJ, 1 December 2020
------------------------------------------------------------
Read Article ([link removed])
**
HMRC has outlined proposed new actions to tackle tobacco duty evasion, highlighting the impact that the illicit trade has on legitimate retailers. The 12-week consultation, published yesterday, is considering a range of measures to tackle the illicit tobacco trade, including:
------------------------------------------------------------
*
** Extending the ability to enforce selected track and trace sanctions to trading standards.
------------------------------------------------------------
*
** A new penalty of up to £10,000 for holding or possessing products that do not comply with the track and trace requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------
*
** Power to seize any track and trace compliant tobacco products where they are found alongside product that does not comply with the track and trace requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------
*
** The withdrawal of the track and trace operator ID from those retailers who are found with products that do not comply with the track and trace requirements.
------------------------------------------------------------
*
** The withdrawal of the track and trace operator ID from retailers that have had their ability to sell tobacco restricted or curtailed under any other legislation.
------------------------------------------------------------
** ACS (The Association of Convenience Stores) chief executive, James Lowman, said: “The illicit tobacco market damages legitimate retailers and is dangerous for consumers. We have long called for tough action against the illicit trade, and welcome this consultation which aims to ensure that those selling illicit tobacco are stopped from doing so. We will also be working to advise our members to make sure that they do not unwittingly fall foul of the tough enforcement measures we need.”
ACS says it will be responding to the consultation in due course.
Source: Talking Retail, 1 December 2020
------------------------------------------------------------
Read Article ([link removed])
**
City of York Council has proposed turning playgrounds into smokefree zones under plans to improve people's health and stop children from taking up smoking. The play parks would be voluntary smoke free areas and the council will launch a consultation on the plans before taking action. Vaping could be included in the ban - depending on what people say in response to a survey. Barnsley, Norwich and Wakefield have already turned their children's play parks into smokefree areas.
The council wants to reduce the number of people who smoke in York by more than three quarters by 2025. Currently, 11.9% of the city's population smoke - more than 20,000 residents - and the council aims to reduce the rate to 5%. Smoking led to 700 deaths in the city between 2016 and 2018 - and 1,690 hospital admissions in 2018 to 2019, a council report said.
If the plans go ahead, signs to discourage smoking would be installed at playgrounds from April 2021 - although the ban would not be enforced. The council manages more than 90 play parks in the city.
Source: York Press, 2 December 2020
------------------------------------------------------------
Read Article ([link removed])
Have you been forwarded this email? Subscribe to ASH Daily News here. ([link removed])
For more information call 020 7404 0242, email
[email protected] (mailto:
[email protected]) or visit www.ash.org.uk
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.
============================================================
Our mailing address is:
Action on Smoking and Health
6th Floor New House
Hatton Garden
London
EC1N 8JY
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
