Smoking prevalence - ICP Outcomes Framework - Registered Locality

This dataset presents the percentage of adults who classify themselves as either regular or occasional smokers, based on responses to the GP Patient Survey (GPPS). It provides a self-reported measure of smoking prevalence across England and is a key indicator of population health and lifestyle behaviours. The data is expressed as a percentage of survey respondents and is used to inform tobacco control strategies and public health planning.

Rationale

Smoking is a major risk factor for a wide range of preventable diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory conditions. Reducing smoking prevalence is a central goal of public health policy. This indicator helps track progress in reducing tobacco use and supports targeted interventions to reduce smoking rates, particularly in high-prevalence communities.

Numerator

The numerator is the number of survey respondents who answered "regular smoker" or "occasional smoker" to the question: "Which of the following best describes your smoking habits?" This data is collected through the GP Patient Survey (GPPS).

Denominator

The denominator is the total number of respondents who answered the same question in the GP Patient Survey.

Caveats

No specific caveats were noted in the source metadata. However, as this is a self-reported measure, responses may be subject to reporting bias or underreporting of smoking behaviour.

External References

Public Health England – Fingertips Tool

Localities Explained

This dataset contains data based on either the resident locality or registered locality of the patient, a distinction is made between resident locality and registered locality populations:

• Resident Locality refers to individuals who live within the defined geographic boundaries of the locality. These boundaries are aligned with official administrative areas such as wards and Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs).
• Registered Locality refers to individuals who are registered with GP practices that are assigned to a locality based on the Primary Care Network (PCN) they belong to. These assignments are approximate—PCNs are mapped to a locality based on the location of most of their GP surgeries. As a result, locality-registered patients may live outside the locality, sometimes even in different towns or cities.

This distinction is important because some health indicators are only available at GP practice level, without information on where patients actually reside. In such cases, data is attributed to the locality based on GP registration, not residential address.

Click here to explore more from the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Partnerships Outcome Framework.