Patients attending outpatient appointments at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) are now being offered free stop smoking support as part of their treatment pathway.
The service, funded by Birmingham City Council Public Health, is available across Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Heartlands Hospital and Good Hope Hospital. It focuses particularly on respiratory, pre-operative assessment and cancer services, where stopping smoking can significantly improve treatment outcomes and recovery.
Why the service is being expanded
An estimated 10.2% of adults in Birmingham currently smoke. Hospital data shows thousands of admissions each year are linked to smoking-related illnesses, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Councillor Nosheen Khalid, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said the service removes the barrier of people having to seek help separately. "Smoking is still one of the biggest drivers of ill health and hospital admissions in Birmingham," she said. "By funding this service directly into UHB's outpatient pathways, we're removing the barrier of people having to seek out help separately."
David Thickett, Professor of Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Lead for Tobacco Addiction Cure Team at UHB, added that smoking remains one of the leading preventable causes of disease. "By integrating specialist smoking cessation support into our outpatient services, we aim to make evidence-based interventions more accessible to patients and colleagues," he said.
What the service offers
Patients receive specialist behavioural support alongside free stop smoking treatments, including nicotine replacement therapy and vapes. Support is provided face-to-face or over the phone, with regular follow-up throughout a quit attempt.
How to access the service
Patients can be referred by a UHB clinical team or self-refer directly by emailing quitsmoking@uhb.nhs.uk.
More information about quitting smoking is available at birmingham.gov.uk/stopsmoking.