We’re excited to share that we now have a team of tobacco dependency advisors on site across our hospitals to support inpatients to quit smoking, as part of the NHS Long Term Plan towards a Smoke Free England by 2030.
After completing their specialist training, Vanessa, Katie, Jude, Cleo, Alli and Diriebi started seeing in-patients at St Richard’s and Princess Royal hospitals from 1 April and have now added Worthing Hospital and Royal Sussex County Hospital to their patch from 1 July.
The advisors are available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday offering anyone admitted to hospital who smokes with specialist behavioural support and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Patients will be automatically referred to see the advisors once their smoking status is updated on our system, which will happen within six hours of admission.
Smoking remains the biggest preventable cause of illness and early death in the country – and we know that hospital stays can be a turning point for change. We’ve already been supporting pregnant people and their partners to quit through our Smoke Free Pregnancy Pathway launched in May 2023 – and now we’re delighted to be expanding our services to inpatients.
How the advisors can help
Advisors will:
- talk to patients about their smoking habits and goals
- offer advice on Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) – Long acting patches and a quick acting method to manage cravings such as gum or a mouth spray
- support patients to stay smoke-free whilst in hospital
- refer patients to a free 12-week community quit programme after discharge
- check in with patients after 28 days to see how they are doing.
Since the team began, they’ve already helped nearly 200 patients. Over a third have agreed to follow a quit plan with NRT and support. Of those followed up a month later, 15 have quit smoking entirely.
Speaking about her role, Katie Palmer, Advisor at St Richard’s Hospital, said:
We often have just one chance to help someone take the first step to quit – so every moment counts. It’s a fast-paced role but incredibly rewarding to follow up and hear that someone has managed to quit with our support.
Find out more
If you’d like to find out more about the service, you can get in touch with the smoke free team directly.
And in related news, discover how our very own healthcare hero, David Lodge, has contributed to our smoke free agenda – to national acclaim.