Sheffield Primary Care Trusts have been praised in a national review for their work in helping people to quit smoking, and reducing the impact of tobacco and exposure to second-hand smoke.
The Healthcare Commission has published the results of its national Tobacco Control Review, and three Sheffield Primary Care Trusts, North Sheffield, Sheffield South West and Sheffield West, were rated at the highest level as 'Excellent'. South East Sheffield PCT also performed well, gaining a 'Good' rating.
These results compare favourably against other major cities in England, such as Leicester, Manchester and Birmingham, and puts three Sheffield PCTs in the top third overall. The review also urges poorer performing Trusts to learn from the best practice of the better performing Trusts, such as Sheffield.
Andy Buck, Chief Executive of North Sheffield PCT, says, "We are very pleased to receive national recognition of the high quality of work we are doing in Sheffield to tackle smoking and tobacco use. This is a good example of how the NHS, City Council and local employers working in partnership can make real progress in tackling one of our major health risks. This is a priority issue and will continue to be so."
The review assessed performance on reducing the number of smokers in communities, promoting smoke free workplaces, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and working with other agencies to address the needs of the local population.
All four Sheffield Trusts scored an 'Excellent' rating for their work in championing smoke free environments through the Smoke Free Sheffield initiative. This has already encouraged hundreds of organisations, including pubs, bars and restaurants to become smoke-free early, before the legislation comes into effect next year.
The Sheffield Trusts were also found to be performing especially well in helping and protecting those most vulnerable to the effects of smoking, such as in pregnancy and in the more deprived areas of the city.
Dorothy Birks, Director of Public Health for Sheffield South West and Sheffield West PCTs, says, "We are delighted at this result. However smoking remains the biggest preventable cause of ill health, and we recognise there is still a lot more that we need to do to reduce levels of smoking in the city."
In Sheffield, the NHS Stop Smoking Service has already helped thousands of people stop smoking, and provides programmes both for individuals and for employers looking to support their staff to stop smoking. Contact the Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0800 068 4490 or by visiting www.sheffieldstopsmoking.org.uk.
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