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Changing the service model to fit the neighbourhood
Karen Haw, Operational Lead, Leeds NHS Stop Smoking Service, Leeds PCT, UK
Abstract
The Leeds NHS Stop Smoking service’s vision is to make a visible difference to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities in Leeds, particularly those living in the Super Output Areas. The service is commissioned to deliver smoking cessation interventions citywide. This entails mapping the clinics offered and analysing data which allows the team to provide more intensive service provision to the areas of greatest need. The team identified a specific area within the city that did not access the routine service provision offered; this neighbourhood has a mainly white population of routine/manual workers and struggling families. Baseline data showed that people booking into ‘closed’ groups and appointment-based one-to-one clinics often did not attend the first session.
The team encouraged local GP practices to raise the issue of smoking and direct to the ‘drop in’. The session was held at the same time and venue by the same advisors every week. The sessions were marketed as a ‘drop in’ thereby giving it a different identity which appealed to this specific neighbourhood. The weekly support continued after the first session.
A similar model is now being tried in another neighbourhood with similar demographic characteristics. A ‘drop-in’ clinic was established recently in the centrally located Children’s Centre.
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About the presenter
Karen has worked in the NHS since 1985 where she began her nursing career. She became interested in smoking cessation in 2001 when local services began to develop service models.
During this time she worked has a Specialist Stop Smoking
Advisor in the diverse community of South Leeds. Karen is now the Operational Lead for the Stop smoking service in Leeds.
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