Getting fit for surgery

Share your views on our plans to help patients stop smoking and lose weight before surgery

Part 1: Introduction

We are planning to introduce a scheme in 2018 to encourage patients in Bath and North East Somerset to stop smoking and lose weight before non-urgentoperations.

Being referred for surgery can often be a time when people become very aware of their health and how their lifestyles can affect it. By introducing such a scheme, we are proposing to support patients in making changes that will bring long-term benefits, often far greater than those of the operation itself.

Patients who have a healthier lifestyle have a reduced risk of complications during and after their operation, recover more quickly and experience long-term health benefits.

Under the new scheme, patients who smoke or have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above (an obese body weight), will be encouraged to try to stop smoking and/or lose weight for a period of time, before they are referred for surgery.

This survey can be made available in a range of languages, large print, Braille, or on CD/tape. To request an alternative format, please email or call01225 831861.

For more informationabout our proposals or to fill in the survey online, please visit our website at:

Part 2: Survey

1.Please tick all that apply to you:

 I am a carer/look after a family member, friend or neighbour because of a long-term disability, mental ill-health or problems related to age

 I am a health or social care worker

 I am a member of the public

2.Which area of B&NES do you live in?

Bath

Keynsham

 Midsomer Norton

Somer Valley

 Radstock

 Chew Valley

 Other (please specify here):

3.To what extent do you agree with these statements?

Please tick the appropriate box for each statement:

Strongly agree / Agree / Neither agree or disagree / Disagree / Strongly disagree
The NHS should encourage people to try to stop smoking for a period of time,before they are referred for non-urgent operations.
This scheme should not apply to everyone who smokes, as some people may find it too hard to give up smoking.
The NHS should encourage people who have a BMI or 30 or above (an obese body weight) to try to lose weight for a period of time, before they are referred for non-urgent operations.
This scheme should not apply to everyone who has a BMI of 30 or above, as some people may find it too hard to lose weight.

4.What do you think of our proposals to encourage people to try to stop smoking and/or lose weight for a period of time, before they are referred for non-urgent operations?

Please share your views:

5.How long do you think we should ask people to try to stop smoking and/or lose weight for before they are referredfor non-urgent operations?

Please tick the appropriate box for each statement:

Up to three months / Up to six months / Other (please specify amount of time)
People should be asked to try to stop smoking for:
People should be asked to try to lose weight for:

Please explain why:

6.Do you think there should be exceptions to this scheme? Please share your views:

For example, should the scheme not apply to certain groups of people? If so, who and why?

7.Please tick which applies to you:

 I smoke

 I used to smoke

 I have never smoked

If you do not smoke, please skip question 8 and go straight to question 9.

8.To what extent do you agree with these statements?

Please tick the appropriate box for each statement:

Strongly agree / Agree / Neither agree or disagree / Disagree / Strongly disagree
I feel confident that, with support from stop smoking services, I could stop smoking for four weeks or more.
I feel confident that I could stop smoking for four weeks or more without any help.
I feel confident that, with support from stop smoking services, I could stop smoking forever.
I feel confident that I could stop smoking forever without any help.

9.Please tick which applies to you:

I have a body mass index (BMI) of 29.9 or less

I have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above (an obese weight)

 Don’t know

 Prefer not to say

Your GP can help you work out your BMI, or you can use the BMI healthy weight calculator on the NHS Choices website:

If you have a BMI of 29.9 or less, please skip question 10 and go straight to question 11.

10.To what extent do you agree with these statements?

Please tick the appropriate box for each statement:

Strongly agree / Agree / Neither agree or disagree / Disagree / Strongly disagree
I feel confident that, with support from weight management services, I could lose five per cent* of my body weight inup tothree months.
I feel confident that I could lose five per cent of my body weight in up to three months without any help.
I feel confident that, with support from weight management services, I could lose five per cent of my body weight in up to six months.
I feel confident that I could lose five per cent of my body weight in up to six months without any help.

*For example, if you weigh 95kg/15 stone, this would mean losing 5kg/11 pounds. You can use an online calculator at to work out five per cent of your current weight.

11.If you use/have used services in B&NES to get help to stop smoking and/or lose weight, please tell us about your experiences:

Which services did you use? Do you think the services are effective? Did they help you? Do any changes need to be made? If so, what?

Part 3: Equality and diversity information

It's really important that we ask a diverse group of people for their views about our plans.

To check we are aware of particular issues and needs of different groups in the community, we ask people to give us some information about themselves. This information is completely anonymous.

  1. What is the first part of your postcode?

Prefer not to say

3. Is your gender different to the gender

that you were assigned at birth?*

Yes

No

Prefer not to say

*Transgender is an umbrella term for people

whose gender identity in some way differs from

the gender they were assigned at birth.

  1. How would you describe your ethnic group?

Ethnic origin is not about nationality, place of birth or citizenship. It is about the group to which you perceive you belong. Please tick the appropriate box below:

Asian or Asian British:

Indian

Pakistani

Bangladeshi

Chinese

Any other Asian background

(please specify here):

Black or Black British:

Caribbean

African

Any other Black background

(please specify here):

Mixed or multiple ethnic groups:

White and Black Caribbean

White and Black African

White and Asian

Any other mixed background

(please specify here):

Thank you very much for sharing your views with us.

We will review all of the feedback we get and use this to shape the scheme and make sure it benefits as many people as possible.

We will share public feedback and plans for the new scheme in late January on our website:

If you have any questions about this survey, please email or call 01225 831861.

For information on support that is available to help people lose weight and stop smoking, please visit our website:

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