Doctors to breathalyse smokers before allowing them NHS surgery

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Smokers in Hertfordshire are to be breathalysed to ensure they have kicked the habit before they are referred for non-urgent surgery.

The measures have been brought in by East and North Hertfordshire clinical commissioning group (CCG) and Hertfordshire Valleys CCG, which together are attempting to save £68m.

They said the changes were being brought in after 85% of people who responded to a public consultation agreed that smokers should be required to quit before being referred.

The proposals, revealed by the Health Service Journal, require smokers to have given up for at least eight weeks. They will have to prove this by undergoing a breath test, which will check for levels of carbon monoxide.

Dr Nicolas Small, the chair of Herts Valleys CCG, said: “Although we are asking people to take more responsibility for some aspects of their healthcare where possible, we won’t be withdrawing any support from people who are not able to do this.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/...em-nhs-surgery