Decision details

Annual Public Health Report

Decision Maker: Executive

Decision status: For Determination

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive resolved to note and endorse the recommendations in the report and agree its publication:

 

1.    Strong leadership across many organisations will be needed. The Somerset Board and constituent organisations commitment to a refreshed Local Declaration on Tobacco Control, (including commitment to not work with tobacco companies). 

2.    Support to Trading Standards to enforce the new tobacco and vaping legislation. 

3.    Support local workplaces to develop smoke-free policies that adhere to smokefree legislation, public sector organisations in Somerset should be exemplar employers. 

4.    Launch new, fresh communication and training campaigns that take a compassionate approach to smoking, supporting front line workers and members of our communities to have non-judgmental Very Brief Advice conversations about stopping smoking at every opportunity with signposting to support that meets their needs. 

5.    Strong engagement with people in Somerset to develop a new Somerset-wide action plan which develops services to meet the needs of people to stop smoking and protects people from second-hand smoke and smoking-related behaviour. 

6.    Focus our support towards groups with the highest rates of smoking, use behavioural insight research to understand what will work best to help them to stop smoking as well as to create more supportive environment. 

7.    Support schools, hospitals and care infrastructure to embed clear policies for smoking and vaping. 

8.    Stop smoking services should be further developed at hospital sites so 100% of patients are asked if they smoke and offered support to stop. 

9.    100% of pregnant women and partners should be screened using carbon monoxide monitors at booking and throughout pregnancy, and provided with appropriate support. 

10.To hit the target of smokefree by 2030, there needs to be strong measurement of progress against the target of 45,000. A collection of performance measures needs to be agreed with constant monitoring; as many measures as possible need to be ‘real time’ with little time lag. 

 

 

 

 

Report author: Trudi Grant

Publication date: 16/01/2025

Date of decision: 15/01/2025

Decided at meeting: 15/01/2025 - Executive

Accompanying Documents: