Examination of witnesses (Questions 380
- 383)
THURSDAY 9 DECEMBER 1999
PROFESSOR JOHN
BRITTON, DR
JENNY MINDELL,
SIR ALEXANDER
MACARA and DR
BILL O'NEILL
Dr Brand
380. Primary care team, I think.
(Professor Britton) Not necessarily, no, because there
is more to it than that, but we are talking of small numbers of
pounds. In fact specialist smoking cessation clinics are very
cost-effective, but they can only see a small number of people.
Audrey Wise
381. So smoking cessation clinics plus NRT,
GP support plus NRT—both of those are definitely spectacularly
cost-effective?
(Dr Mindell) And smoking cessation training and support
for midwives and practice nurses and really all healthcare professionals
ideally.
Chairman: The GPs are wincing at the moment
to that. The PCGs we are talking about.
Dr Brand: The primary care team, not a PCG,
and certainly in my own experience, I found one of our practice
nurses absolutely brilliant at it. We were funded for smoke stop
clinics and then the funding was withdrawn and people's enthusiasm
waned and it was not as good as it was.
Mr Austin
382. Everybody has said not only in this session
that smokers become addicted when they are very young and those
who do give up tend to give up later in life. I would just be
interested to know whether you know of any examples of good practice
where young people have been persuaded or enabled to quit the
addiction.
(Dr O'Neill) We can certainly get that evidence for
you and send it to you because there certainly is evidence there
from various groups working with schools and youth groups.
Chairman
383. Do any of my colleagues have any further
questions? Do any of the witnesses wish to add anything to what
they have said so far? If not, then I will thank you, Dr Mindell
and gentlemen, for your most helpful evidence.
(Sir Alexander Macara) And thank you, Chairman, and
the Committee for a most enjoyable as well as, I trust, productive
session.
Chairman: Thank you, Sir Alexander.
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