Hull Stop Smoking services to help Knowsley to quit
26 July, 2013
City Health Care Partnership CIC (CHCP CIC), the biggest provider of Stop Smoking services in Hull and the East Riding, has just got bigger. CHCP CIC has won a contract to run a specialist stop smoking service for Knowsley, which is one of the five metropolitan districts of Merseyside and is between Liverpool and Manchester.
The current population of Knowsley is around 151,000 and the tender has been won through a bidding exercise conducted by Knowsley Council. The new service will provide specialist stop smoking support, advice and training to encourage people in the Knowsley area to quit. The service will be driven to achieve the three Public Health outcomes for tobacco: reducing smoking prevalence amongst adults, reducing smoking at time of delivery and reducing the prevalence of smoking amongst 15-year-olds.
Knowsley is ranked as the 5th most deprived area in the England by The English Indices of Deprivation 2010. The area also experiences significantly higher rates of mortality for all major causes of death and smoking prevalence is considerably higher than the national average.
However, CHCP CIC is confident that it can respond to these public health challenges. Giles Bridgeman, Head of Sexual and Public Health Services for CHCP CIC, said, ‘Last year we helped over 5,300 people to quit smoking locally so we know we have the relevant experiences and skills to deliver effective services. Our plan is to transfer our successful approach to the Knowsley area and deliver a high quality service that’s valued by local people.’
Services will include walk-in clinics, digital services such as Quit Online and Quit Buddy, which allow people to quit via computers or mobile phones, and dedicated support for young people, pregnant women and their families.
City Health Care Partnership is not only the biggest Stop Smoking provider in Hull and the East Riding, it is also the largest social enterprise. All profits from its growing ventures are reinvested in services, staff and the local community and it is a co-owned business, with all permanent staff members given the opportunity to buy a £1 share in the company, giving them a real stake in its success.
