Stop smoking services are about to change under a new Department of Health strategy. Its tobacco control plan, published in July 2017, sets out a long-term aim of reducing smoking prevalence to below 5% in England.1
While stop smoking schemes are considered “highly cost effect and form a key part of tobacco control programmes,” uptake of services has declined over the past five years, as has funding. 2,3,4 NHS supply of nicotine replacement therapy products has declined, while e-cigarette use is increasing and is being used by people to help quit tobacco.3,5
Rather than continue with the current framework of stop smoking services, Public Health England (PHE) is being asked to support local authorities to refocus the support for smokers wanting to quit, and to ensure health professionals have access to local information and training. “We want to see local areas developing their own tobacco control strategies, based on NICE evidence-based guidance,” says the tobacco control plan.1
Likely significant outcomes are:1,6

·      commissioning decisions around stop smoking services will shift from clinical commissioning groups to local authorities

·      commissioners will expect practitioners to have National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT) certification

·      e-cigarettes will play a much bigger role.