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** 9 March 2023
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** UK
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** No Smoking Day: Smokers unaware that quitting smoking will reduce risk of dementia (#1)
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** Revealed: £6bn deficit in first cut ICS plans (#2)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Oral questions: Tobacco control plan (#3)
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** Oral questions: Health inequalities (#4)
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** UK
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** No Smoking Day: Smokers unaware that quitting smoking will reduce risk of dementia
Smokers in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are being urged to give quitting a go ahead on No Smoking Day (8 March), as research shows those who smoke are more likely to develop dementia.
The annual awareness day encourages smokers to make a quit attempt and this year’s theme is 'stopping smoking protects your brain health'.
According to Alzheimer's Research UK, dementia is the most feared health condition for people over the age of 55 – more than any other life-threatening disease including cancer and diabetes.
Yet YouGov data commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) revealed that in East Midlands, 18% of people who smoke know that smoking increases the risk of dementia, compared to 75-80% who know that smoking causes lung diseases or cancers.
Smoking raises the risk of developing dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, as it harms the vascular system (heart and blood vessels) and the brain.
Studies also suggest that quitting smoking reduces this risk substantially, and smoking has been identified as one of twelve risk factors that if eliminated entirely, could collectively prevent or delay up to 40% of dementia cases.
However, data from Alzheimer's Research UK show only a third of UK adults know there are things they can do to help reduce their risk of dementia, and stopping smoking is one of them.
Cllr Matt Barney, Nottinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, said: “It’s important as part of No Smoking Day that we raise awareness on the impact that smoking has on the brain as well as other parts of the body. We all know that dementia can take away many happy memories we have shared with loved ones and giving up smoking is one way that can help reduce the risk of this developing.
Between the months of April and October last year, the county council’s Your Health Your Way service helped nearly 2,400 new people on their journey to stop smoking.
Source: Nottinghamshire County Council, 8 March 2023
See also: Barnsley Council – No smoking day press release ([link removed]) | Liverpool Council – No smoking day press release ([link removed])
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** Revealed: £6bn deficit in first cut ICS plans
The draft financial plans submitted by integrated care systems for 2023-24 suggest a budget deficit of around £6bn, multiple sources have told HSJ.
As typically happens, the figure is likely to be reduced significantly as plans are scrutinised by NHS England, but the initial number is thought to be far worse than draft plans submitted in previous years.
HSJ understands the draft plans for the Midlands region total a deficit of £1.5bn, with initial figures for the North West around £1.4bn.
Comparing these figures to run-rate positions in the current financial year, and extrapolating nationally, suggests the national plans total a deficit of around £6bn. Multiple local sources said this matched the figure being discussed among finance staff.
Official guidance states ICSs must each produce a balanced financial plan for next year.
One senior source at an ICS said the deficit was the “biggest… by some way” they had seen at this stage in their 25 years in the NHS. “I’m sure the number will go down as we get more guidance but I think we will enter 2023-24 with big deficits. I expect the planning round to last until July.”
A trust finance director added: “A lot is evidently not real. The income regime is a mess. No provider knows what to plan for, so of course we’re cautious… I reckon it will shake out to £2bn - £3bn. [People have included] far too much inflationary pressure.”
Sally Gainsbury, senior policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust, said: “It is not unusual for initial plans for the year to project an overspend, but the scale of the budget deficit for 2023-24 indicates the government needs to rethink the pace at which it is demanding NHS spending ‘converges’ with the pre-pandemic trajectory.
Source: HSJ, 9 March 2023
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Oral questions: Tobacco control plan
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** Asked by Steve Brine, Conservative, Winchester
To ask where the Government is with the updated tobacco control plan and whether the Department will look again at a smoke free fund paid for by the tobacco industry.
Answered by Neil O’Brien, Minister for Primary Care and Public Health
The Government will be setting out our next steps on smoking shortly, but we already have the lowest smoking level on record: it has fallen to 13%, partly as a result of the doubling of duty on cigarettes and partly owing to the introduction of a minimum excise tax. We will be investing £35 million in the NHS this year to ensure that all smokers who are admitted to hospital are given NHS-funded tobacco treatment.
Source: Hansard, 7 March 2023
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** Oral questions: Health inequalities
Dr Rupa Huq, Labour, Ealing Central and Acton
To ask what steps he is taking to help tackle health inequalities.
Answered by Neil O’Brien, Minister for Primary Care and Public Health
We announced in January that we will publish a major conditions strategy, which will apply a geographical lens to each condition to address disparities in health outcomes. We have doubled the duty on cigarettes since 2010 and now have the lowest smoking rate on record. We are investing an extra £900 million through the drugs strategy, increasing funding by 40%, and to fight obesity we have introduced the sugar tax and measures such as the extra £330 million for school sport.
Dr Rupa Huq, Labour, Ealing Central and Acton
To ask why is it that the Government scrapped a proposed White Paper on health inequalities?
Answered by Neil O’Brien, Minister for Primary Care and Public Health
The Government are driving forward all that work through the major conditions paper. In addition, we have the Start for Life programme, with another £300 million to improve young people’s start in life. We are absolutely committed to tackling health disparities and driving forward work on all fronts.
Dr Caroline Johnson, Conservative, Sleaford and North Hykeham
Vaping was designed as a stop-smoking device for adult smokers, but the flavours, colours and disposable vapes have become a fad for children, encouraging those who have never smoked to take up vaping. What are the Government doing to prevent that?
Answered by Neil O’Brien, Minister for Primary Care and Public Health
My hon. Friend is quite right. It is something that we are looking at very closely, as she knows from previous conversations. While vaping can be an aid in quitting smoking—it helped about 800,000 people to do so last year—we must stop its use being driven up among children.
Andrew Gwynne, Labour, Denton and Reddish
To ask when will the public health grant be announced?
Answered by Neil O’Brien, Minister for Primary Care and Public Health
The public health grant will be announced within days, not weeks. When it is announced, the Opposition will see that, as well as generously funding public health, we will be funding an extra £900 million on drugs spending to transform treatment and an extra £300 million through the Start for Life programme. We will continue to ramp up support for public health.
Source: Hansard, 7 March 2023
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