Dr Foster Intelligence

Dr Foster Intelligence is pleased to announce its collaboration with the Association of Greater Manchester PCTs (AGMPCTs) on a smoking cessation campaign.

The alliance between the PCTs and Dr Foster Intelligence is the first project of its kind. All ten of the Greater Manchester PCTs have joined together to lead the stop smoking campaign that is aimed specifically at the area's most deprived communities.

Dr Foster Intelligence brings innovative marketing techniques to the campaign. The techniques join postcode data with lifestyle health analyses. By understanding the needs and habits of local communities, the campaign team will be able to design communication appropriate to the specific, targeted audience and support access to the local smoking cessation services. For the first time, the skills and techniques of the private sector have been combined with the services and providers of the Greater Manchester PCTs to drive forward long-term improvements in the health of their local communities.

"We hope that the work that we do with them will become an exemplar from which other NHS organizations can learn and that this partnership will leave behind a legacy of skills which can be applied to other health improvement objectives across Greater Manchester," said Alison Hardy, Dr Foster Intelligence's Director of Marketing Services.

The UK-wide smoking ban is now less than two months away. By linking the national legislation to their local campaign, the AGMPCTs has given their project extra gravitas and urgency. To make it easier for the target audience to access available services, all smoking cessation information provided by the PCTs are now available through a single phone number.

The AGMPCTs and Dr Foster Intelligence believe there will be many lessons learned from the campaign that will be transferable to other areas of health and social care.

"We chose Dr Foster Intelligence as our partner because of their skill in creating sustainable change in peoples' interaction with the NHS," said Peter Rowe, lead PCT Chief Executive for this project for the AGMPCT.

"Smoking remains one of the greatest drivers of health inequalities in England, but we know that when people use the support and services provided by the NHS, they are four times more likely to succeed than if they try to quit with will-power alone," he continued.