NHS staff Tobacco Dependence Treatment service

Smoking or vaping is not allowed on our trust’s hospital sites and the opportunity presented by a Smokefree work environment could be a prime opportunity for you to achieve a Smokefree future.

We are committed to supporting staff, including contractors and partners, to stop smoking or remain abstinent whilst at work through its NHS staff tobacco dependence offer.

Our Smokefree service is free, friendly and can massively boost your chances of quitting for good. The NHS Staff Smokefree Service has specifically been set up to support current NHS staff to abstain from smoking whilst at work and/or to quit smoking altogether. Our service is staffed by expert Specialist Stop Smoking Practitioners who can provide a range of proven methods to help you quit.

They'll give you accurate information and advice, as well as professional support, during the first few months of you stopping smoking.

We will provide specialist one to one support with a Tobacco Dependence Specialist who will discuss the treatment options available to you and provide Nicotine Replacement Therapy where appropriate.

As part of your assessment and treatment, we may ask you to complete a Carbon Monoxide screening which is a simple and effective way of monitoring the levels in the body. This test is conducted by asking you to blow into a small tube for 15 seconds and the machine provides a reading.

We will provide specialist one to one support with a Tobacco Dependence Specialist who will discuss the treatment options available to you and provide Nicotine Replacement Therapy where appropriate.

As part of your assessment and treatment, we may ask you to complete a Carbon Monoxide screening which is a simple and effective way of monitoring the levels in the body. This test is conducted by asking you to blow into a small tube for 15 seconds and the machine provides a reading.

One to one appointments with your Tobacco Dependence Specialist are generally weekly for the first 4 weeks of the programme and less regularly for the remaining 8 weeks.

During your one to one appointments, the Tobacco Dependence Specialist will complete an assessment and tailored support plan designed to help you quit for good.

You are up to three times more likely to stop for good if you use a combination of nicotine replacement therapy and behavioural support form a Tobacco Dependence Specialist.

At your first meeting with a practitioner, you'll talk about why you smoke and why you want to quit, as well as any attempts you've made to quit in the past. You'll also be able to decide on a quit date.

You'll be offered a breath test, which shows the level of carbon monoxide – a poisonous gas in cigarette smoke – in your body.

You don't need to be sure you want to quit or have a quit plan in mind before this meeting.

You can use the time to talk your situation through with the practitioner without making a commitment. If you do decide to quit, the practitioner can help you form an action plan and set a quit date, usually in a week or so.

The Tobacco Dependence Specialist can only advise on evidence-based treatment options and supply the current licenced medication options which the trust are allowed to supply.  

We cannot currently provide electronic cigarettes/vapes as a form of treatment however your Tobacco Dependence Specialist will be able to discuss the current guidance around using these products.

Stopping smoking is a journey and a positive step in the right direction for improved health and quality of life.

Committing to the 12-week programme is a great first step in your smoking quit journey and we will support you every step of the way. It does however mean a further commitment to a ‘not a puff rule’.

The Tobacco Dependence Specialists will help you to identify situations where you may be tempted to smoke and can help you identify strategies to manage this to avoid relapse.

There are many benefits associated with stopping smoking and everyone has their own reason to quit. Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do to improve your overall health and boost your finances:

• Improve your mental wellbeing by reducing anxiety and discomfort caused by withdrawal symptoms.
• Lower your risk of getting a long-term smoking-related disease (such as heart disease, cancer, COPD, high blood pressure and stroke).
• Have more money to spend on you and your family (on average a 20-a-day smoker spends more than £3,500 a year).
• Get health benefits shortly after stopping smoking (e.g. your blood pressure will show improvements after just 20 minutes smokefree).
• It’s never too late to stop smoking, even if you have a long-term condition, such as heart or lung disease.

Whilst it isn’t possible to reverse the damage caused by smoking, you’ll gain numerous health benefits and feel better if you stop smoking.

If you’re over 35, the risk of developing a long-term smoking-related health condition increases. The good news is that the sooner you quit you’ll prevent the onset of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, vascular disease and respiratory disease (e.g. COPD) and a whole range of cancers.

Within days of quitting smoking you'll experience:

• A drop in heart rate
• Carbon monoxide and oxygen levels in blood return to normal (similar to those who’ve never smoked)
• Your sense of taste and smell improving

Within weeks you'll benefit from:

• A reduction in the risk of sudden death from a heart attack
• Improvement in lung function
• Less coughing and shortness of breath
• Fewer severe asthma attacks
• Within a few months you’ll experience:
• An improvement in symptoms of chronic bronchitis (phlegm, wheezing, shortness of breath)
• Less risk of ulcers

Benefits within a year of having quit include:

• Risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) cut by half
• An improvement in lung function among people with mild to moderate COPD
• Giving-up smoking could really change your life. Our NHS Staff Smokefree Service can provide effective one-to-one stop smoking support. Find out how we can help you quit for good or reduce the harm from smoking