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Smoking cessation support services in secondary care in Scotland: key lessons from a mapping exercise
Susan MacAskill, Senior Researcher, CTCR University of Stirling
and the Open University, UK
Abstract
The importance of NHS settings as routes for reaching specific smoker populations, such as secondary care patients, is increasingly recognised. It is less clear what issues need to be addressed to ensure effective delivery.
A relevant study addressing this developing target group was commissioned by NHS Health Scotland. It aimed to map and describe service support for secondary care patients, to identify examples of promising practice and to compare practice with current guidance. The study used a mixed method staged approach. Firstly, telephone enquiries with health board tobacco lead(s) (n=16); secondly, self-completion questionnaires sent to service leads (n=23); and thirdly, site visits to six services in Scotland and England (n=27).
Key lessons for the development and delivery of cessation support in this setting will be presented. Themes include: Service development, management and staffing, referral within the hospital, provision of pharmacotherapies, referral to the community,
training, and monitoring. Learning points will be set in the
context of current guidelines.
Acknowledgements: NHS Health Scotland funding and support
of the Advisory Group.
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