THURSDAY, 16 JULY, 2020

Immediate release:

Successful year for NHS Tayside’s Quit Your Way service

NHS Tayside has been commended for the high number of successful quit attempts made through its stop smoking service, Quit Your Way.

The national target for NHS Tayside in 2019-20 is to achieve at least 486 successful 12-week quits for people living in the most deprived areas. In the first nine months of the year, NHS Tayside recorded 460 quits, which is 94.7% of its total target and the best performance in Scotland. The team is confident they will meet the annual target when the full year’s figures are published.

Consultant in Public Health Pharmacy Dr Andrew Radley said, “We are proud of the success the people of Tayside have achieved in giving up smoking, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no better time to give up smoking.

“People that smoke are more likely to suffer from health issues that may require more regular visits to hospital and can suffer more harmful symptoms from a COVID-19 infection.

“Giving up smoking will put them in a better place to deal with illnesses affecting their breathing and lungs.  This is why we try to make services as accessible as possible and in Tayside we also provide an incentive to those in communities most in need.

“The work of our community pharmacists has been vital in helping people in our communities achieve the best possible health, and smokers attending hospital appointments may also be asked to give up smoking by their consultant to help support their care.”

NHS Tayside has continued to offer specialist smoking cessation services within local community pharmacies, which provide free individual support sessions and the most effective treatment available to help people quit.  

You can drop in to pick up your stop smoking medication and access one-to-one support when it suits you, such as during lunch breaks or after work. The pharmacist will explain the medications available to help you quit smoking such as Champix or Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). They will advise on the pros and cons of each to help you decide which option is the best for you.

NHS Tayside also runs two incentive schemes, including for pregnant women, which offers up to £50 a month in weekly supermarket vouchers if you stay smoke free. Your local pharmacy can give more information and let you know if you are eligible to sign up.

The respiratory department at Ninewells Hospital has been offering treatment through its outpatient clinic, with one third of all smokers attending the clinic taking up the offer of support to quit smoking. Patients were given a supply of Champix and referred for ongoing community pharmacy support and medication. This initiative is now going to be rolled out across other hospital wards and departments.

If you would like help to stop smoking you can contact NHS Tayside’s Quit Your Way service on 01382 424127 or visit www.facebook.com/nhstaysidequityourway

You can also find out more information at www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/nhs-services/helplines/quit-your-way-scotland 

Commenting on the latest smoking cessation statistics, Public Health Minister Joe Fitzpatrick said, “It is extremely encouraging to see such a high number of people successfully stop smoking in the Tayside area. This is down to the positive work of the health board supporting more people to quit through free NHS services.

“People who access services to help them quit are more likely to be successful than people who try to quit on their own. A key aspect for us and health boards is also to tackling health inequalities in communities where smoking causes the most harm.

“We want to help as many people to quit smoking as possible. That’s why we established a single, identifiable national service, ‘Quit Your Way’, to deliver more consistent services and outcomes across Scotland.”

Contact:

Louise Wilson

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740718