SMOKERS treated at Stafford Hospital are being urged to ‘swap fags for swag’ and consider the financial benefit of kicking the habit.
Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust teamed up with the smoking cessation team at Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent NHS Trust to launch Time to Quit, a new easier to access service for patients, on last week’s 30th anniversary of National No Smoking Day.
The new 12-week programme will replace the one previously run by Sue Coghlan, a nurse specialist in smoking cessation set to retire at the end of March.
Time to Quit manager Ian Saberton said: “We’re really proud to be jointly working with Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation trust, which until recently has provided a stop smoking service through its outpatients department.
“The service has been great and smoking cessation nurse Sue Coghlan has done an excellent job delivering the support to smokers,” he said. “She has helped a lot of people to quit and we’re sure we can continue this work.”
Mr Saberton said No Smoking Day provided the perfect opportunity to promote the new services and for patients to join hundreds of others across the county attempting to quit on the same day.
“This is why Time to Quit’s efforts in spreading the word about the support available are so important, to help many make their first steps towards a healthier and wealthier, smoke free life.”
Nearly one in six adults in the UK smoke with surveys suggesting up to two thirds want to quit.
This year No Smoking Day, an annual campaign run by the British Heart Foundation, focused on the money the average smoker could save if they were to quit for one day (£7), a week (£49), a month (£210) and a year (£2,555).
For more information on quitting smoking or for an appointment with a stop smoking adviser ring 0800 043 4304 or visit www.staffordshireandstokeontrent.nhs.uk
