Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Secondary care smoking cessation services (SCSCS) are cost-effective but are probably underused. New Welsh Government directives want 10% of smokers attending hospital to be seen by SCSCS with 40% of these achieving quits at 4 weeks.
AIM: We looked at referral patterns into and 4-week quit rates in smokers attending a well-established SCSCS.
METHODS: 1032 consecutive smokers who attended at least 1 appointment to SCSCS between 2008-2015 in a UK District Hospital, served by 0.6 whole-time equivalent SC specialist.
SETTING: The hospital has a ban on smoking, poster adverts, a drop in service for staff smokers, SCSCS leaflets in all patient information sheets e.g. for elective admissions / day case procedures and free prescriptions of all types of NRT and varenicline. Smokers can also access a free community service.
RESULTS:
* urology=4, psychiatry=2, physiotherapy=2, AE=1, ENT=4, rheumatology=3, dermatology=1, GP=11, Obs &Gynae=4, oncology=2, podiatry=4
61.5% attendees were sustained quitters at 4 weeks (serial exhaled CO<10 ppm).
CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study reporting patterns of referral to a SCSCS to a well-established service. Most patients came from the Respiratory department with Cardiology the second commonest source with many patients and staff self-referring. More work needs to be done encouraging referrals from other specialities especially as for those attending the service, their early quit rates are good.
- Copyright ©the authors 2016
