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To mark National No Smoking Day, the NHS has announced a new programme which will help smokers who are discharged from hospital to kick the habit.
The new programme will enable every pharmacy in England to sign up for an advanced smoking cessation service, which will connect patients who have started treatment in hospital to receive continued support in the community.
Patients will then have the option of selecting which pharmacy they can use and will be contacted once they are home from hospital.
The strategy is part of the NHS Long Term Plan, which aims to offer tobacco treatment services to all hospital inpatients by 2023/24.
More than half a million hospital admissions are attributable to smoking
With NHS figures showing that more than half a million hospital admissions are attributable to smoking, the health service hopes the initiative will help to bring down admissions and reduce the number of deaths caused by smoking.
GP and Director of health inequalities, Dr Bola Owolabi for the NHS in England, said: “While rates are falling, giving up smoking remains one of the most important steps to leading a longer and healthier life, and the NHS is working hard to make it as easy as possible for people who decide to quit smoking while in hospital, to receive support once they return home.
“Leaving hospital is a good incentive for people to quit smoking, and NHS pharmacies will be on their local high street with advice, support and treatment to help them stub out the dangerous habit once and for all.”
Three in five people successfully quit smoking in the pilot study
Data from the pilot of the new service is promising, with three in five people successfully quitting smoking after leaving hospital.
Sixty-year-old Bilal Sarwar was one of these patients, who had been smoking since the age of 11. After discovering he needed an operation, Mr Sarwar was persuaded to give up and was given a prescription of nicotine patches and spray to help relieve his nicotine cravings.
He was then referred to Lees Road Pharmacy in March last year, and 12 weeks later, he had successfully quit.
Mr Sarwar says Nadia who worked in the pharmacy build his confidence and made him realise stopping smoking would help him prolong his life and spend more time with his grandchildren.
“Giving up has helped me in lots of ways, my health is improved; my breathing is better, and people tell me I look healthier now. I am very proud of myself for stopping smoking and have lots of gratitude for the people who have supported me. If I can stop smoking, anyone can if they have the right people and the right support,” he said.