16 July 2026 · GMC reply
The specific legal-warning question had not been considered.
Read the responseWho knew.
Who chose. When.
Follow the decision through advice, ministerial choice, legislation, parliamentary explanation and later disclosure. The date on a document and the date it was disclosed are kept separate.
A separate information and data strand
What the later responses reveal
September–October 2026 · NHSBSA publications
Official releases provide prescription-item data, explain the distinct-patient gap and address separate NHS low-number data.
Explore the prescribing evidenceThese response and publication dates are separate from the 2018 decision. These NHSBSA requests are not attributed to JBD.
Advice before the decision
Home Office and ACMD — separate papers
The Home Office’s earlier submission identified doctor-prescribed patients and possible objections. ACMD’s separate advice concerned prescribing and product instructions.
Read the earlier Home Office paperPatient benefit and a professional alternative
Home Office advice to ministers
The smoking-options submission recognised possible benefit in rare cases, offered professional controls and proposed a personal prohibition with an enforcement advantage.
Read the smoking-options submissionThe ministerial decision was recorded
Home Secretary decision email chain
The recorded decision agreed the smoking restriction and declined a fixed expiry date. The 17 September decision record must not be confused with the earlier 13 September submission email.
Read the decision recordThe regulations were made
Ministerial law-making
SI 2018/1055 inserted regulation 16A, including the personal smoking prohibition. Making, laying and commencement are separate events.
Read the law and its contextThe regulations were laid before Parliament
Parliamentary explanation and scrutiny
The explanatory memorandum described a maintained or continuing prohibition. JBD compares that account with the new personal burden within lawful prescribing.
Read the explanatory memorandumThe changes took effect
Lawful prescribing and the personal prohibition
The new prescribing framework and smoking rule came into operation together. The report separates lawful supply and possession from the patient’s prohibited act.
Read the statutory frameworkA review excluded associated criminal offences
Government’s commission to ACMD
The longer-term commission invited advice on the regulations while expressly excluding associated criminal offences. The report examines the significance for the patient offence.
Read the review sourcesJBD submitted the patient issue
Submission to ACMD’s evidence process
The submission email identifies the early briefing and annexes sent. It is evidence of submission history; superseded legal wording is distinguished from the current analysis.
Read the redacted submission emailDecision records were disclosed
Home Office FOI exchanges
An initial smoking extract was followed by a fuller disclosure, supporting papers and the decision email. These are disclosure dates, not dates of the 2018 decision.
Read the fuller disclosure and related exchange