Introduction:
Treating tobacco dependence in patients admitted to the hospital leads to substantial, immediate, and long-term benefits for both the individual and the healthcare system. NHS England has committed to delivering tobacco dependence treatment to all people admitted overnight to hospitals who smoke. To summarise best practices and develop key messages and a national treatment plan to assist with standardizing the way we describe and treat tobacco dependence in inpatient settings and support changes to clinical practice.

Material and Methods:
A task group of national experts led the development of the key messages and Standard Treatment Plan. The task group deliberated and drafted the key messages and guidance, which were then under expert review by stakeholders. The documents were published by NHS England and the National Centre for Smoking Cessation Training (NCSCT) in March 2024.

Results:
Key messages were developed across several thematic areas, which include tobacco dependence in the hospital setting, tobacco dependence, nicotine and withdrawal symptoms, smoke-free hospitals, tobacco dependence aids, priorities for tobacco dependence treatment, the trust tobacco dependence team, and the importance of post-follow-up support. The Standard Treatment Plan is organized around three tobacco-dependence treatment care bundles: the admission care bundle, the inpatient specialist care bundle, and the discharge care bundle. The key messages (https://www.ncsct.co.uk/publications/inpatient-TDT-key-messages) and the Standard Treatment Plan for inpatient tobacco dependence (https://www.ncsct.co.uk/library/view/pdf/Standard-Treatment-Plan-for-Inpatient-Tobacco-Dependence.pdf) were published in March 2024. A short film featuring these key messages (https://www.ncsct.co.uk/publications/inpatient-acute-TDT-film) and an eLearning were produced to support their dissemination nationally.

Conclusions:
These key messages and practice guidance aim to ensure a common approach to treating tobacco dependence in inpatient settings in the English NHS and may serve as a model for other European settings.