Local NHS and council work together to reduce smoking

South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) and Warwickshire County Council (WCC) have joined forces to actively support local initiatives aimed at reducing the harmful effects of smoking.

Last week leaders from both organisations met at Shire Hall, Warwick where they signed the NHS Statement of Support for Tobacco Control. The document has been developed to enable the health community to support colleagues in local government in their tobacco control work. By signing the statement SWFT have publically committed to:

Actively support local work to reduce smoking prevalence and health inequalities;

Develop plans with partners and local communities;

Play a role in tackling smoking through appropriate interventions such as ‘Make Every Contact Count’;

Protect tobacco control work from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry;

Support Government action at national level;

Participate in local and regional networks for support;

Join the Smokefree Action Coalition (SFAC).

SWFT Chief Executive Glen Burley said: “One of our key objectives focusses on empowering local people to manage their own health and wellbeing and stopping smoking is one of the best ways to do this. We demonstrated our commitment to reducing the negative impact of smoking when we implemented our Smoke Free Sites policy on 1 January 2015. Since then our stance has been that you can’t smoke on our sites but you can get effective help and support to stop.

“By signing this statement we’re signifying that we will work in partnership with our Public Health partners at Warwickshire County Council as we continue to reduce smoking.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe added: ‘We welcome the commitment that SWFT has made in supporting tobacco control work in Warwickshire and look forward to continue to work in partnership to promote a smoke free environment.’

The Declaration has also been widely endorsed by leading figures and organisations in the public health community including NHS England, Public Health England and the British Medical Association.

There are smoking cessation services available in the Outpatients Pharmacy at Warwick Hospital and in locations throughout Warwickshire. For more information call 0800 0852917 or visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/smokefree.

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