Assessing wants and needs: Using a different approach with smokers in hospital

Author and presenter:
Rebecca Haynes
Stop Smoking Specialist Advisor, Fresh Start Stop Smoking Service, Derby, UK

Abstract
Any smoker admitted to hospitals in Derby can be referred for support by a Stop Smoking Advisor but referral rates were low despite a rolling programme of brief intervention training for health care professionals. Staff were telling us that they were too busy to have a conversation about smoking or that they didn’t want to upset the smoker!

Following a positive meeting with a proactive and enthusiastic Respiratory Consultant, the ‘Smoking Assessment Team’ was born. We now visit key areas within the hospital on a daily basis and carry out the assessment of smokers ourselves. Smokers can usually be categorised as follows:

1. Those who want to make a quit attempt whilst in hospital,
with or without NRT

2. Those who want NRT to manage nicotine withdrawal whilst in hospital

3. Those who choose not to engage with the service at all

This new way of working benefits everyone – patients are offered a service that is flexible to their needs at the time; ward staff are
happy because we save them time and their patients are more compliant with treatment and with the smoke free policy; our manager is impressed with the threefold increase in 4 week quitters generated from the hospital!

Source of funding: NHS

Declaration of interest: none