The amendment 11, Health and Care Bill would expand the duties of integrated care boards. Smoking is still a major factor in the correlation between standards of living and health expectancy. There is still a disparity between the most and least deprived areas of England in regards to health. Life expectancy between these areas differs by approximately 19 years for both men and women.
The Government manifesto commitments are to reduce health inequality and increase life expectancy by 2035. Amendment 66, therefore, seeks to make smoking and other modifiable risk factors to health the responsibility of integrated care systems. In therefore makes sense to fund smoking cessation services which will improve quality of life, reduce health issues and save the NHS money in the long run.