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Statistics on NHS stop smoking services, April to September 2003

  • Published date:
    12 February 2004
  • Reference number:
    HSC 2002/012

Statistical press notice

This quarterly report presents provisional results from the monitoring of the NHS Stop Smoking Services (formerly known as the smoking cessation services).

Of those clients who set a quit date during the period April to September 2003, 68,600 had successfully quit at the 4 week follow up; this compares with 55,700 in the same period in 2002 (an increase of 23%).

The key results show that, in England, during the period April to September 2003:

  • Around 129,800 people set a quit date through NHS Stop Smoking Services
  • At the 4 week follow-up around 68,600 had successfully quit (based on self-report), 53% of those setting a quit date
  • Success at the four week follow up increased with age, from 39% of those aged under 18, to 63% of those aged 60 and over
  • The majority of people received Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Around three quarters (78%) of people received NRT only, 9% received bupropion only, and 1% received both NRT and bupropion
  • The expenditure on NHS Stop Smoking Services, which does not include the cost of NRT or bupropion on prescription, was £14.9 million.

Some tables giving more details of these results are attached.

Produced by the Government Statistical Service

Notes to editor

  1. The quarterly report, Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England, April to September 2003 will be available as soon as practical after 9.30am on 12 February 2004 from the Department of Health website.
  2. The white paper, Smoking kills, was published in December 1998 outlining the Government's policies on smoking. This contained three key targets: young people's smoking; adult smoking; and pregnant women. The establishment of Stop Smoking Services (formerly known as Smoking Cessation Services) in the NHS is an important element of the Government's strategy for tackling smoking in recognition that many smokers want to stop, but find it hard to do so. This policy has been more recently restated in the NHS Plan and the NHS Cancer Plan.
  3. NHS Stop Smoking Services were launched in the Health Action Zones in 1999/00, with services rolled out across the NHS in 2000/01. In the 4 years up to and including 2002/03, £70m was made available for these services, plus £6m to develop services to help pregnant smokers. Some £138m has been made available to the Services over the three years 2003/04 to 2005/06 (£41m/£46m/£51m). Details can be found in Health Service Circular 2002/12 available on the Department of Health website.
  4. In 2002/03, a target was set for the services to deliver 100,000 successful quitters at the 4 week follow up (based on self-report). A target for the three years 2003/4 to 2005/06 of 800,000 successful quitters at the 4 week follow up (based on self report) has been announced in the document Priorities and Planning Framework 2003-2006 available on the website.
  5. Information on the number of people setting a quit date, and the number who successfully quit at the 4 week follow-up (self report), for each strategic Health Authority, is included at table 5b and for each Primary Care Trust at table 7.
  6. Final figures for 2002/03 were published as a Statistical Bulletin on 12 November 2003; this statistical bulletin Statistics on smoking cessation services in England, April 2002 to March 2003 is available on the website.
  7. A quarterly report presenting provisional results for April to June 2003 was published on 12 November 2003.
  8. A statistical bulletin presenting information from a variety of sources on smoking titled Statistics on smoking: England, 2003 was published on 12 November 2003. Copies of this bulletin are available from: Department of Health, PO Box 777, London SEI 6XH, Tel: 0871 555 455 and Fax: 01623 724 524.
  9. The telephone number for the NHS smoking helpline is 0800 169 0 169. The telephone number for the NHS pregnancy smoking helpline is 0800 169 9 169.
  • Contact:
    Press Officer
  • Address:
    Media Centre
    Department of Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall
    London
    SW1A 2NL
  • Phone:
    Media Centre
    020 7210 5707/5287

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