More than 8,000 people in Derbyshire hospitalised for smoking-related illnesess last year

More than 8,000 people were hospitalised with smoking-related illnesses last year. Photo: Jonathan Brady

Charity Action on Smoking and Health says the increase in smoking-related hospital admissions places a ‘real burden’ on the NHS, and calls on the Government to do more to help smokers.

Data from Public Health England shows there were 8,793 admissions to hospital attributable to smoking in Derbyshire in 2018-19 – an eight per cent rise on the year before.

Over the 11-year period, 83,000 people were hospitalised.

The figures only include admissions for diseases that are wholly or partially attributed to smoking for people over-35.

They suggest that 1.7 per cent of over-35s in Derbyshire were admitted to hospital because of smoking last year.

Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, has previously warned that smokers are also at greater risk from coronavirus.

Speaking to MPs earlier this month, Prof Whitty said smokers shouldn’t behave any differently to others in terms of self-isolation for coronavirus, but this was a very good moment to quit.

He added: “For most respiratory infections, you worry about people who smoke a bit more.

“They’re more likely to get it and their immune system is less good.”

Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy at Action on Smoking and Health said: “Most smokers start smoking as children and try many times to quit.

“Smokers are more likely to get sick, develop complications and take longer to recover than non-smokers.

“This places a real burden on the NHS. Government has pledged to do more to help smokers in the NHS which is welcome.

“But more action is needed to achieve Government’s vision of smoking rates of five per cent or less by 2030.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “Robust government action, like the introduction of plain packaging and awareness campaigns, has brought smoking rates down to record low levels and our ambition is to become a smoke-free society by 2030.

“This year we have made £3 billion available to support local authorities, including stop-smoking services.”