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LSE-Lancet commission report on reforming the NHS
A new report by the London School of Economics-Lancet commission looking at the possible future of the NHS, has called on the government to commit to long-term funding for healthcare, and set out other recommendations to try to solve the troubles facing the NHS.
Key recommendations from the wide ranging report include a call for a £102bn increase in UK spending on the NHS, social care and public health, taking the total outlay from £185bn now to £288bn by 2030-31. That would involve increasing the budget of each of those three services by 4% a year every year for 10 years. Most of the £102bn would come from rises in income tax, national insurance and VAT. Initially this would require a 1p increase in all three by 2025-26 – a move the experts call “progressive, broad-based, general taxation” – and further 2p uplifts in both income tax and NI by 2030/31.
On public health, the commission recommend a £3.2bn budget boost for the sector straight away. This would help make up for years of cuts to public health budgets, ensure more money goes to poorer areas, where the burden of preventable illness is higher, and expand the workforce. This 4% rises would allow public health teams to do more to reduce the number of people suffering from cancer and heart disease and close the gap on this between Britain and other rich nations.
Source: The Guardian, 6 May 2021
See also: LSE-Lancet Commission on the future of the NHS - Re-laying the foundations for an equitable and efficient health and care service after COVID-19
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Deaths from alcohol misuse in England and Wales hit 20-year high in 2020
There were 7,423 alcohol-specific deaths in 2020, up 20% on the previous year and the highest annual death toll since records began in 2001, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. In population terms the rate rose year-on-year from 11 to 13 per 100,000. The ONS said alcohol consumption in higher-risk drinkers had risen during the pandemic, and suggested deaths were likely to be concentrated among people with long-term drink problems, including those who had been abstinent but relapsed.
Four out of five alcohol-specific deaths in 2020 – defined as being a direct consequence of alcohol misuse – were from alcoholic liver disease. A further 10% were from mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol use, and 6% accidental alcohol poisoning. The alcohol-specific death rate for men was 4.2 times higher in the most deprived areas, at 34.1 deaths per 100,000, compared with 8.1 in the most affluent areas. Alcohol deaths among women in the most deprived communities were three times higher at 15 per 100,000, compared with five in the least deprived areas.
“Each of these numbers represents a life of an individual cut short by alcohol consumption and a family that has been left in mourning. The future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on addiction and mental health makes action now all the more critical,” said Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, the chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance.
Source: The Guardian, 6 May 2021
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Woman who quit smoking buys convertible car with money saved
Pauline O’Connor, aged 70 from East Sussex, quit smoking after 50 years and bought an Audi A3 convertible with the money saved.
Like many others, Pauline started smoking at a young age, buying her first cigarette aged 11 "for a thruppence". When Pauline lost her Dad to a smoking-related condition, she decided it was time to quit. Pauline then started putting money she would have spent on smoking in an envelope Pauline said "I couldn’t tell you how much I spent on them. It would have gone into the thousands over the years! I’d always find the money. I’d buy 10 and then I’d go down to the shop and buy another 10."
Eventually, Pauline was able to buy the car: "I felt so much better in myself, so I treated myself to an Audi A3 TDI red convertible sports car." Pauline is sharing her story in the hope of inspiring others to quit and prevent them from starting to smoke altogether.
Source: The Metro, 7 May 2021
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MEP says e-cigarettes have a place in EU cancer plan, but urges vigilance
In an interview MEP Michèle Rivasi, a French EU lawmaker from the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (Europe Écologie) of the European Parliament, said that e-cigarettes “undoubtedly” reduce risks compared to traditional cigarettes and have a place in the EU’s plan to fight cancer. However, the MEP said e-cigarettes should not enjoy “lighter” regulation or tax exemptions and Europe should treat them with the same vigilance as tobacco products.
In the interview with EURACTIV, Rivasi also shared her thoughts on the Commission’s TPD implementation report, due next month, saying that "We need better regulation of sales and advertising, a thorough analysis of additives and their cocktail effect, a ban on flavourings and mandatory health warnings to alert non-smokers to the risks, as is the case for traditional cigarettes. Sales to minors should also be banned."
Source: EURACTIV, 7 May 2021
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Training and learning opportunities
The Smoking Cessation & Health Conference 2021
Taking place virtually on January 16th 2021, is a dedicated national event for professionals working in smoking cessation and related services in the UK, that focuses on how to reduce the burden of smoking related death and disease for all sections of the population.
Key themes for this year's conference include:
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Licensed Pharmacotherapy
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Tools for the job
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Non medicalised alternatives to smoking
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Bridging the gap in health inequalities
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“The long term plan” securing and using the funding
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Reaching smokefree 2030
A full programme for the virtual conference is available here and you can register here.
Tobacco Control: Agile Policy, Research and Practice
This course, run by Dr Anthony Laverty Professor Christopher Millet from Imperial College London, teaches you about the global health harms caused by tobacco and the efforts underway to combat these. You'll analyse the strategies and tactics used by the tobacco industry, and their allies, to keep people buying their products, and you'll reflect on the role played by public health research in pushing back against this pressure with the ultimate aim of improving health.
No matter your previous experience in this area, by the end of this course, you'll be able to describe the global harm to health caused by tobacco use and how policy is responding to this. You'll also be able to critique tobacco industry strategies that undermine tobacco control and discuss ways in which robust and timely research in strengthening tobacco control is key to policy and practice.
For more information, click here.
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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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