Stop smoking support at University Hospitals Sussex 

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What is this information about?

This information is about the support you can get to help you quit smoking while you are in hospital, and when you have left hospital to go home.  

Why have I been given this information?

University Hospitals Sussex is a Smoke Free Trust. This means that patients, visitors and staff cannot smoke on Hospital grounds.  

We know that smoking is an addiction and being smoke-free while you are with us can be difficult.  

Many people find that being smoke-free in hospital is an important time to think about their smoking and the effect that smoking has on their health. Many people can stop smoking with the right support.  

Staying smoke-free during a hospital stay means that you are more likely to: 

• recover faster 
• be discharged sooner  
• avoid coming to hospital again for the same illness. 

We are committed to supporting everyone to be smoke free when staying in our hospitals. We can offer you support to help you to stop smoking for good. 

What support can I get to stop smoking while I am in hospital?

1. When you are admitted to one of our wards, staff will ask you if you smoke or if you have smoked tobacco in the last two weeks. If you are a smoker, you will be offered free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (sometimes called NRT). This will be a slow-acting patch and a quick-acting mouth spray or inhalator to help you manage any cravings. 
2. A specially trained Health Improvement Advisor for Tobacco Dependency will visit you while you are in hospital. They can offer you different Nicotine Replacement Therapy, such as gum or lozenges. They can change your strength of patch if what you have been offered is not working well for you. They will help you to stay smoke free while you are in hospital by using NRT and offering support. 
3. Research has shown that the best way to stop smoking is with Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and behavioural support. This means talking to a specialist trained advisor about your personal smoking story, such as: 
   • what triggers cravings for you 
   • your routine and habits around smoking 
   • if you have tried to quit before and what worked  
   • what made you go back to smoking again.  

If you decide that you would like to quit smoking after talking to the adviser, they will help you set a quit date and will make a referral for you to a community Stop Smoking programme when you are discharged from hospital.  

This is usually 12 weeks, and you will get free NRT and behavioural support. This might be a weekly phone call to see how you are getting on. You can talk about any triggers and cravings and how you can stay smoke free. If you prefer this can be face-to-face and at a place most convenient to you. 

4. Once you leave hospital the Stop Smoking service that you have been referred to will contact you to help you stay smoke free. 

5. Our hospital advisors will contact you to make sure that you have everything you need to stay smoke free and that you have been contacted by the community team. They will contact you again at 28 days to see if you are now smoke free or need further support. 

What support can I get if I decide I want to quit smoking after I have left the hospital?

You can still access community services if you change your mind about stopping smoking after you leave hospital. Partners, family and friends can also refer themselves for stop smoking support. You may find it is easier to quit together and keep on track with your stop smoking journey. 

Services available depend on where you live.  

What if I am not ready to set a quit date yet?

You may not want to talk about stopping smoking yet, but our advisors can offer you a free vape under a Scheme called Swap2Stop. If you would like to give vaping a go, you can have a free vape starter kit delivered to your home address. The adviser will contact you after 28 days to see if vaping has helped you to cut down or stop smoking. 

How can I contact the Tobacco Dependency Team while I am in hospital?

If you change your mind and want support to quit smoking while you are in hospital, or if you have any questions about your Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) during your stay you can contact the Tobacco Dependency Team at [email protected]

Your Tobacco Dependency Advisor contact details: