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** 25 February 2022
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** UK
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** Government agrees Health and Care Bill concessions (#1)
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** Pharmacy smoking cessation service set for slow start, PSNC anticipates (#2)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Parliamentary questions (#3)
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** Links of the Week
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** Job opportunity: NHS – Staff Tobacco Dependency Project Manager (#4)
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** Job opportunity: ASH – Data & Insights Lead (#5)
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** The Health Foundation - Addressing the leading risk factors for ill health (#6)
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** UK
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** Government agrees Health and Care Bill concessions
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** Ministers have published details of the first amendments they plan to make at the Health and Care Bill’s Lords report stage in coming weeks, covering areas including mental health, inequalities, and climate change. They follow pressure from peers, and numerous outside groups, in recent months.

Three of the amendments relate to mental health: requiring the definition of ‘health’ to include mental health; to place a duty on new integrated care boards to have mental health expertise; and to require more transparency and accountability on mental health funding.

The health minister in the Lords, Lord Kamall, has now laid amendments, supported by Lord Stevens, which would ensure the health secretary, NHSE and ICBs disclose, by comparison with the previous year, whether mental health spending is increasing.

There are also key changes in relation to inequalities — NHSE will be required to consider people before they become patients during inequalities work on accessing services, and such work will also need to consider quality of patient experience, alongside outcomes.

Andy Bell, deputy chief executive of the Centre for Mental Health, added: “It’s good to see these amendments and some major ones on inequalities too.
“We have worked hard as a community to campaign for equality in the bill, and today’s changes are a step in the right direction.”

Source: Health Services Journal, 23 Feb 2022
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Read Article ([link removed])


** Pharmacy smoking cessation service set for slow start, PSNC anticipates
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** Pharmacies in England could start offering an advanced smoking cessation service as early as 10^th March 2022, but there will be “no big-bang start” for the service, Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) director, Alastair Buxton, has predicted.

Patients who started their smoking cessation treatment in hospital and consent to be part of the ongoing service, will be referred to a participating pharmacy of their choice for continued support in the community, according to the draft service specification.

Whilst only pharmacists can provide the service currently, “due to the current rules on exemptions for VAT”, the Department of Health and Social Care and HM Revenue and Customs are exploring whether these rules can be “amended to allow support staff to provide the service”.

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** Source: Chemist and Druggist, 25 Feb 2022
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**
See also: Community Pharmacy Advanced Service Specification - NHS Smoking Cessation Service (SCS) Draft Service Specification ([link removed])
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Read Article ([link removed] )


** Parliamentary Activity
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** Parliamentary Question 1
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** PQ1 - Oral Tobacco

Asked by Kenny MacAskill, East Lothian

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the British Standard Institution’s Standard 8877 on tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches; whether he plans for the Post-Implementation Review of the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 to recommend establishing a regulatory framework for tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches; and if he will take steps to help ensure that tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches are regulated appropriately.

Answered by Maggie Throup, Public Health Minister

No assessment has been made. The Post Implementation Review into the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 is expected to be published shortly and will set out if the legislation is achieving its aims. We are reviewing the regulatory framework for tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches.

Source: Hansard, 23 February 2022

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Read Transcript ([link removed])


** Parliamentary Question 2 & 3
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** PQ 2&3 – Electronic cigarettes

Asked by Sam Tarry, Ilford South

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of second-hand vaping smoke on the health of others; and if he will extend no smoking zones to include vaping.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to review legislation on no smoking zones to include vaping.

Answered by Maggie Throup, Public Health Minister

There are no current plans to review this legislation to include vaping. The provision of separate vaping areas is a matter for individual organisations. While there is clear evidence of harm from tar and carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke, there is no comparable evidence of harm from second-hand exposure to vaping.

Source: Hansard, 23 February 2022
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Read Transcript PQ2 ([link removed])
Read Transcript PQ3 ([link removed])


** Parliamentary Question 4
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** PQ 4 – Oral tobacco: Health hazards

Asked by Andrew Rosindell, Romford

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Committee on Toxicity’s review of the toxicological risks associated with oral nicotine pouches was delayed until mid-2022.

Answered by Maggie Throup, Public Health Minister

The Committee on Toxicity of Food, Consumer Products and the Environment is considering tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches and the review is in progress. An initial discussion paper was presented to the Committee members in May 2021 and further information was requested. Chemical incident response priorities for the Secretariat have delayed further discussion, but it is estimated that this work will conclude in mid-2022.

Source: Hansard, 23 February 2022

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Read Transcript ([link removed] )


** Parliamentary Question 5
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** PQ 5 – E-cigarettes: children

Asked by Tulip Siddiq, Hampstead and Kilburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the sale of e-cigarette products to minors.

Answered by Maggie Throup, Public Health Minister

It is illegal to sell e-cigarettes to those aged under 18 years old and there are restrictions in place on advertising, limits on nicotine strength, labelling and safety requirements. The Department provides funding to local authorities in support of local trading standards activity and the enforcement of these regulations. In addition, the Department provides advice to small businesses, including advice on compliance with age of sale requirements.

Source: Hansard, 23 February 2022

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Read Transcript ([link removed] )


** Links of the Week
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** Job opportunity: NHS – Staff Tobacco Dependency Project Manager

NHSE/I is recruiting for a Project Manager to provide support to pilot, develop and strengthen a staff tobacco dependency offer to support the smoke free NHS ambition, enable the NHS to support staff to adopt healthier lifestyles and accrue savings in health costs and productivity.

This role would also lead scoping and implementation of a digital tobacco dependence intervention, which combines behavioural support with pharmacotherapy to deliver the ‘gold standard’ smoking cessation service in a flexible, digitally enabled model.

Applications close on Thursday 10^th March 11.59pm
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View Job ([link removed] England » Working for us)


** Job opportunity: ASH – Data & Insights Lead
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**
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** ASH is seeking a full time Data & Insight Lead to lead on data analysis, synthesis and reporting for the organisation, oversee data-led projects being delivered by external experts, manage ASH’s annual public opinions surveys of adults and children and young people, and take lead responsibility for updating key products, such as fact sheets.

This post provides crucial support to the policy, communications and campaigns work of ASH. The post-holder will take the lead on generating robust data and information and in ensuring that the work we do is underpinned by the most up to date evidence.

Go to the ASH website for more information about the role and how to apply.
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** Applications close on Sunday 13^th March 11.59pm
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View Job ([link removed])


** The Health Foundation - Addressing the leading risk factors for ill health
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**
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** The Health Foundation has published a review of government policies to address smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol use in England. The report finds that:
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** government has relied heavily on policies aimed at changing individual behaviour
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** the approach has been uneven across risk factors, with particularly weak action on alcohol
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** decision making across departments has been disjointed, undermining health improvement targets.
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**
The report recommends that the upcoming health disparities white paper must present a coherent long-term strategy to address major health risk factors. Government will need to adopt multiple policy approaches, focusing on population-level action to alter the environments in which people live.
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Read Review ([link removed])
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For more information email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or visit www.ash.org.uk
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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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