You may well have missed it, and if a couple of newspapers hadn’t got hold of the news, no one would know about it until 2016. However, if the reports are true, vaping looks set to be made available on the NHS next year.
A report in the Sunday People revealed the Public Health Minister Jane Ellison seemingly had no intentions of letting the news out until the New Year. Apparently someone in Whitehall (someone unnamed, of course) has said they feared GPs would be “overrun” by patients wanting to get vaping equipment on the NHS once they knew it was available.
When did the news break?
It looks as though the news came out last month, when Jane Ellison was asked a question by the Labour MP for Birmingham, Selly Oak, Steve McCabe. The question and subsequent answer are both available to read on the Parliament.uk website – the official website of the UK Parliament. Mr McCabe wanted to know what the Government’s policy was on smoking electronic cigarettes, and whether any guidance was available on using such e-cigs.
Jane Ellison confirmed the Government believed it was “significantly less harmful” to vape than to smoke. She then went on to reveal that Public Health England was working in conjunction with Stop Smoking services in local areas. As such, it could soon be the case that people wanting to stop smoking may have more than nicotine patches and good advice to help them. They may also be able to choose e-cigs and refills to help them switch from real cigarettes to electronic ones.
What kinds of e-cigs might be available?
At the moment there is no news on what will be available if e-cigarettes are to become available on the NHS. According to reports, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has now licensed the e-Voke, a product created by British American Tobacco. We’ve taken a look at this and it looks like it is a disposable e-cig, not one that works with refills. It also looks exactly like a real cigarette.
This doesn’t necessarily mean the NHS will be making these available to patients wanting to stop smoking, but it does point to it at least being a possibility. However, it contradicts information given in some of these reports, focusing on the amount the NHS is likely to spend per patient in this initiative. The cost is calculated to be around £20 for the initial kit, with £10 per week spent on cartridges. This points clearly towards refills rather than disposable single-use e-cigs.
Long-term savings
While there are weekly costs involved in giving smokers e-cigarettes and refills, it is expected the NHS will see long-term savings in its health budget. As more and more people give up smoking, the NHS is likely to be used less by people who would otherwise have carried on with the habit. Since smoking has been linked to several major diseases and conditions, it makes sense there will be a reduction in instances of people falling ill because of smoking.
We will be watching closely to see when an announcement regarding e-cigarettes being made available by the NHS as a form of treatment for ceasing smoking. Until then, we wonder whether some people might refrain from making the switch. Some might hope their GP will prescribe them the equipment they need to vape, instead of having to pay for it all out of their own pocket.
What do you think of the Government’s plans? Will you be seeing your GP if vaping is made available on the NHS, in the hope that it will help you stop smoking?
