Welcome to SCaH Conference 2025

This will cover key policy announcements and developments in delivering the Government’s ambition for a smoke-free UK, including on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

If we want to become a country where smoking is obsolete across the whole of society it will not be business as usual, it will not be a single piece of legislation, a single programme or a single agency that makes this possible. It requires action at every level across the system with a vast cast of partners who share in the mission. This is the scale of ambition needed to bring an end to the leading cause of preventable illness and the biggest single cause of health inequalities. This presentation will chart what’s needed and how we might achieve it.

Stop Smoking Services have been delivering support to smokers across England since 2000. Over the last 25 years, we have seen over 10 million quit attempts made with expert SSS support, and over 5 million successful 4-week quits. Services remain an integral part of local efforts to reduce the harm from tobacco. However, the number of people using these services has declined sharply over the last decade, and we still see significant variation locally – both in terms of models being adopted, but also the outcomes being achieved

Ensuring the latest evidence and best practice is reflected in service delivery is key for maximising impact of stop smoking services nationally. An update on the latest national guidance for Local Stop Smoking Services and tobacco dependence treatment in inpatient acute and mental health trusts and what it means to those leading and delivering stop smoking services.

Since 2021 'opt-out' tobacco dependency treatment services have been introduced to almost every NHS hospital in-patient setting and maternity service, driving down smoking related health inequality by providing access to treatment. To have a greater impact still we could improve the reach and effectiveness of our services.  The opportunity to reach more people may arise via new settings to provide opt-out treatment such as ED, out-patients, community mental health, screening programmes as well as using a multiplicity of treatment providers including digital solutions, Community Pharmacy alongside well established local government stop smoking services. Systematically applying Quality Improvement through formal QI programmes or Accreditation processes  could substantially improve outcomes for our patients and the impact of our new services. A very exciting time indeed!

This presentation outlines a comprehensive, system-wide approach to achieve the 2030 Smokefree ambition of less than 5% smoking prevalence. It proposes strategies including campaigns, targeted support for underserved communities, and strengthened connections with primary care. The shared ambition aims to normalise quitting and ensure non-judgmental, evidence-based support is available to all smokers.