Meeting the new targets
2.10 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) will take the lead in commissioning and, where appropriate, providing smoking cessation services.
So all Health Improvement Programmes should set out how PCTs and their partners will develop these services and target the groups most at risk. National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and HDA guidance on the best interventions will help. By 2002 every PCT will have a trained healthcare professional to support smokers wishing to quit.
2.11 The Department of Health will put up to £1 million into funding new local alliances for action on smoking. This will establish a national network to form the bridge between the treatment services and the local authorities and community groups, businesses, schools, churches and faith communities, leisure facilities and minority ethnic groups. They will work with the most deprived sections of their communities to make a difference.
2.12 The Healthy Community Collaborative approach announced in the NHS Plan will be used to disseminate information on what works well and to harness primary and community efforts with particular target groups. The first elements of the Collaborative should be in place by the end of 2000.
2.13 Businesses have a key role in this challenge. There is a clear business case for helping employees to give up smoking. The government will contribute £250,000 to support a national initiative for major employers to help them develop smoking policies for their employees.
2.14 Smoking prevalence is particularly high in Bangladeshi men (47%) and African Caribbean men (32%). Funding for smoking cessation work with black and minority ethnic groups has been increased to £1 million.
2.15 There will be new pilots in ten deprived areas to reduce smoking prevalence in communities where there are particular opportunities for focused support, such as prisons and hospitals.
