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Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking services in England, April to September 2004

  • Document type:
    Quarterly report
  • Author:
    Government Statistical Service for the Department of Health
  • Published date:
    10 February 2005
  • Primary audience:
    Professionals
  • Product number:
    1 84182 904 8
  • Gateway reference:
    2005
  • Series number:
    HSC 2002/012
  • Pages:
    21
  • Copyright holder:
    Crown copyright

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 2004, 107,800 had successfully quit at the 4 week follow up; this compares with 72,500 in the same period in 2003 (an increase of 49%).

The key results show that, in England, during the period April to September 2004:

  • Around 201,500 people set a quit date through NHS Stop Smoking Services.
  • At the 4 week follow-up around 107,800 had successfully quit (based on self-report), 53% of those setting a quit date.
  • Of those setting a quit date, success at the four week follow up increased with age, from 37% of those aged under 18, to 64% of those aged 60 and over.
  • The majority of those setting a quit date received Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Around four fifths (80%) of people received NRT only, 8% received bupropion only, and 1% received both NRT and bupropion.
  • The cost of prescription items prescribed in GP practices in England that were dispensed in the community in the period April to September was £17.5 million for NRT, £2.5 million  for bupropion (Zyban) - a total of £20.0 million.
  • The expenditure on NHS stop smoking services, which does not include the cost of NRT or bupropion on prescription, was £20.6 million.

Notes

1. Press  enquiries should be directed to: the Department of Health Media Centre, tel: 020 7210 5707/5287.

2. In July 2004, the Department of Health (DH) agreed new Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets with the Treasury.  These include reducing inequalities in health outcomes as measured by infant mortality and life expectancy at birth by 10% by 2010 and tackling the underlying determinates of ill health and health inequalities by reducing adult smoking rates to 21% or less by 2010, with a reduction in prevalence among routine and manual groups to 26% or less. This target is significantly more demanding than the adult prevalence in Smoking Kills (which was 24% by 2010).

3. £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

4. The Department of Health's Priorities and Planning Framework (PPF) 2003-2006 included targets on smoking. The NHS was asked to contribute to the reduction of smoking among manual groups, and to achieve 800,000 successful quitters at the 4 week follow up (based on self report) in the three year period 2003/4 to 2005/06. The PPF also includes targets on reduction of smoking in pregnancy and the recording of advice to be given to smokers at risk of CHD.

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), is included for each Government Office Region (table 6a), Strategic Health Authority  (table 6b) and PCT (table 7).

6.  Final figures for 2003/04 were published as a Statistical Bulletin 'Statistics on NHS stop smoking services in England, April 2003 to March 2004' on 29 October  2004.

A quarterly report presenting provisional results for April to June 2004 was published on 29 October 2004.

7. 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.

8. 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.

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