The South Yorkshire QUIT Programme was shortlisted for an NHS Parliamentary Award, reaching the final stages and attending the ceremony in London, on Monday 14 October 2024.
The NHS Parliamentary Awards celebrate and recognise the outstanding contribution of staff, volunteers and others working in the health and care sector. During the first stage of the awards, MPs nominated healthcare teams and individuals serving their local area.
The QUIT Programme was nominated by was nominated by 4 MPs from across South Yorkshire, Sally Jameson, Stephanie Peacock, Dan Jarvis and Sarah Champion, in the Health Equalities category. The team were shortlisted from almost 1000 applications.
Developed in partnership with NHS South Yorkshire and Yorkshire Cancer Research, the QUIT Programme aims to save lives, reduce health inequalities and decrease demand on the NHS by treating tobacco addiction as a treatable condition. This involves screening at the point of admission and providing Nicotine Replacement Therapy and behavioural support from QUIT teams to patients identified as a smoker. Once discharged patients receive further support from community stop smoking services.
Dr Richard Jenkins, CEO at Barnsley Hospital and The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and Senior Responsible Officer for QUIT in South Yorkshire, said: “Although we didn’t win on this occasion, we are proud to have got to the final stages of the awards. To be nominated reflects the hard work and dedication of our QUIT colleagues across South Yorkshire who are making a difference and helping to reduce health inequalities. We are looking forward to the future successes of the QUIT programme.”
Paul Lambert, Head of Services at Yorkshire Cancer Research, added: “All the staff delivering the QUIT programme are doing a great job in supporting patients to quit smoking across South Yorkshire. Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable cancer in the region and sadly, this means that around 60 people in Yorkshire lose their lives every week from a smoking-related cancer. Yorkshire Cancer Research is dedicated to changing this by supporting programmes like the QUIT programme. By treating tobacco addiction, thousands of cancers could be prevented, and many lives could be saved.”
Since the launch of QUIT, over 200,000 patients have been screened for smoking and over 17,000 smokers had a specialist assessment including nicotine replacement therapy recommendation.
Sally Jameson, MP for Doncaster Central, said: “I am proud to have nominated the QUIT team alongside Dan Jarvis MP, Sarah Champion MP and Steph Peacock MP, for their work in helping people stop smoking and improve health outcomes in our area. Whilst they didn’t win on the day, they will always be winners in our region and I am pleased that the great work they do was showcased to our Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting. I look forward to working with them over the coming years to tackle smoking related preventable illness,”
The NHS Parliamentary Awards were created in 2018 for health and care organisations and local MPs to praise and acknowledge the excellent work of the health and care sector.