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Helping Kicking Off the Habit of Smoking and Drinking in Hospital Patients

by Mohamed Fathima S on Jan 6 2019 11:15 AM

Helping Kicking Off the Habit of Smoking and Drinking in Hospital Patients
Hospitals in England offer help to smokers and problem drinkers who are admitted to the hospital, to quit or cut down on the habit. The work is initiated to reduce demands on health services by them.
It is part of a ‘long-term plan’ by NHS //England that is scheduled to be announced in the next few days. Addiction to alcohol and tobacco were two of the biggest causes of ill health and early death, reported NHS. Collectively, 600,000 smokers will be supported to kick the habit over the next five years.

The Scheme

The hospital admissions have increased 17 percent in the last decade compared to only 2 percent earlier, and NHS England has spent around £3.5bn every year in alcohol-related damages. The use of specialist Alcohol Care teams in work has witnessed a significant decrease in A&E attendances, readmissions and ambulance callouts. The group offers help through written advice and counseling to the patients on how to give up drinking and manage it.

The scheme is already running in Bolton, Salford, Nottingham, Liverpool, London, and Portsmouth. It will be extended to 50 more hospitals receiving the highest number of alcohol-related admissions across the country.

Around half a million people in the country will be covered every year. Every smoker admitted to the hospital will be offered special care, including mothers to be and their partners. Many reports show that around 10 percent of women in England are still lighting up during pregnancy, increasing the risk of stillbirth and miscarriages. Blackpool will be given most priority over the next five years, where one in five pregnant women smoke reports NHS England.

Delivering ‘Sea Change’ in Care

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NHS England Chief Executive Steve Simmons said, "Drinking to excess can destroy families, with the NHS too often left to pick up the pieces. Alcohol and tobacco addiction remain two of the biggest causes of ill health and early death, and the right support can save lives."

The long-term plan delivered ‘sea change’ in care for a range of other medical conditions like cancer, mental ill health, and heart disease, He said.

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“The scheme has given patients the support they need to take greater control of their own health and stay fitter longer," Simmons said.



Source-Medindia


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