Identify the Prevention and Health Inequalities Board Lead

Join the ICB Prevention / Tobacco Steering Group

This group would usually be co-ordinated by the ICB.

Submission & approval of a business case

You may be expected to assist in the completion of a business case to include a costing model.

Identify a strategic sponsor to endorse the programme. This person could be:

- Trust Chief Executive.

- Trust Chief Operating Officer.

- Trust Chief Finance Officer.

- Trust Head of Nursing.

- Senior Responsible Officer – based within the Trust.

- Chair of ICS Tobacco Steering group.

Identify a project manager

The project manager will implement all aspects of the programme and will work alongside the trust clinical lead.

The Trust Prevention Group responsibilities are:

- Development of a job description.

- Recruitment.

- Management of the project manager.

Identify regional and local key stakeholders. To include:

- Regional Tobacco Control Leads

- Regional Respiratory Clinical Network Leads.

- Regional Long Term Plan Prevention Working Group Lead.

- Local Authority Public Health Prevention Lead.

- Local Stop Smoking Service Lead.

- Local community pharmacy.

Develop programme clinical pathways and protocols

This is to ensure the systematic opt-out treatment of all in-patients who smoke.

A useful checklist is:

- Patient referral pathway.

- Prescribing protocol.

- Discharge pathways.

- Peer level check and challenge.

Identify key members of the team and assign roles and responsibilities:

- Tobacco Dependence Advisors (TDAs )Recruit a sufficient number based on your trust size and budget.

- Communications Lead – Liaise and work alongside to develop communications strategy and resources.

- IT Lead – Liaise and work alongside to ensure all systems are in place.

Support project manager and provide appropriate clinical input where needed

Agree specific outcomes and associated data collection tools to evaluate your service and measure impact.

Agree key deliverables/milestones for each work stream.

Very Brief Advice Training (VBA)

Ensure all staff can access the most appropriate training available to gain the necessary skills to carry out VBA with every patient that smokes on admission.

IT systems

Ensure staff are trained to use the IT systems required to capture the patient’s details regarding their smoking status as the Long Term Plan Delivery model supports an opt-out tobacco dependency treatment pathway for all in-patients.

Prescribing

Ensure staff are aware of how to prescribe pharmacotherapy as a treatment method using the relevant prescribing protocols.

Referral

Ensure staff are aware of how to refer the patient to the Tobacco Dependency team based within the trust for on-going support and follow-up on discharge.

Measures needed to launch the programme  

Recruitment of an appropriately trained team to deliver the service.

Access to a data capture system that records activity.

Access to training, either on-line or in person sessions.

All necessary pathways and protocols are in place and accessible.

Provide on-going support to the project manager and appropriate clinical input

Attend steering/working group meetings as required.

Be an active role model

As the clinical lead, you can help to support the programme by becoming the trust champion for treating tobacco dependency.

Encourage your colleagues to sign up for the monthly Respiratory Futures Tobacco Dependency Newsletter. 

Drive Culture Change

Utilise your position as the visible lead for the programme and communicate with key decision makers to ensure this is firmly embedded into practice.

Maintain contact with the ICB

The long term implementation of the programme relies on this relationship to harness the longevity of the programme.

A key part of this will be to submit a business case to the ICB board in order to receive year on year funding and to secure extra funding if required.

Continuation and longevity of the programme

In order to support continued service improvement you will need to ensure the following are carried out –

Maintain the relationship with the strategic sponsor

Provide continued clinical and leadership support to the Steering Group and other key work streams

Explore potential expansion into other areas and build on the success of the programme