Lives are being saved and thousands of hospital admissions prevented in the North East and North Cumbria three years after the launch of teams to help support patients to stop smoking.
The North East North Cumbria Smokefree NHS Programme is celebrating 3 years since all 10 NHS Foundation Trusts launched their onsite Tobacco Dependency Treatment Teams.
Since then, around 95,845 people have been identified as smoking on admission or at booking for maternity patients, and around 67,900 patients referred to in-house NHS to help with quitting or temporary abstinence whilst in hospital.
This work is part of the NHS 10 Year Plan to reduce the harms caused by smoking – the biggest cause of preventable illness and death in the region, to help people stay healthy and reduce admissions to NHS services.
Latest figures also show adult smoking prevalence is at the lowest it has ever been at 10.2% for the North East compared to 29% in 2005 – and 10.4% for the North East and North Cumbria ICB area. The figure is even lower for smoking during pregnancy in the North East and North Cumbria at 7.8% of women smoking at the time of delivery (2024/25) compared with 13.1% in 2020/21.
However, smoking still costs the North East and North Cumbria NHS £145m a year in health care costs alone, with around 36,930 hospital admissions and 4,770 premature deaths a year caused by smoking.
Since its full roll out in September 2022, in-house Tobacco Dependency Treatment Services have delivered evidence-based support to patients across all of the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System in 10 NHS Foundation Trust hospitals and across 18 clinical pathways, working alongside clinicians to treat tobacco dependency as a medical condition.
The North East has a Declaration for a Smokefree Future to end the death and disease of tobacco, which is supported by local authorities and the North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board.
Rachel McIlvenna, Smokefree NHS Strategic Manager, North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “Smoking is still the biggest cause of preventable death and one in four patients in hospital is a smoker.
“Our tobacco dependency teams across all 10 hospitals have been instrumental in changing lives. We have seen a record number of patients screened on admission or at booking, and who are now benefitting from support to quit smoking.
“We’re proud of what has been achieved and grateful to every team member who has made this possible. But the job isn’t done when too many people are becoming ill and dying from smoking. It’s vital for every health professional to see tobacco dependency as a clinical priority and ensure all patients are offered support to stop.”
Dr Ruth Sharrock, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Clinical Lead for Treating Tobacco Dependency on behalf of North East and North Cumbria NHS, said: “As a doctor, I see every day how tobacco robs people of healthy years, triggers serious illness far too early, and leaves many trapped in a cycle of repeated hospital visits. We can prevent that.
“Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, COPD and dementia, but as we approach winter when demand on the NHS peaks, smokers suffer more severely from respiratory viruses such as flu.
“We know that many patients who smoke want to quit but are not able to access the right support to help them quit successfully and live longer and healthier lives.”
“If we can encourage more patients to be tobacco free, even if just during their treatment, we can improve recovery from illness, reduce the need for medications and reduce their chances of being re-admitted, easing pressures on our NHS now and in the future.”
Dr Neil O’Brien, Chief Medical Officer, NHS North East North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “We know it’s difficult for people to quit smoking, so it’s vital we use every opportunity to talk to patients and support them to stop.
“Tobacco Dependency teams right across the region are helping people to quit and play an important role in our aim to have a smokefree future, free from the death and disease caused by tobacco.”
Dr Lucia Pareja-Cebrian, joint Medical Director at The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Being smoke-free is one of the most powerful steps we can take to protect the health of our patients, staff and wider community. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death, and as a healthcare organisation, we have a responsibility to lead by example.
“Our Tobacco Dependency Treatment Team plays a crucial role in this — offering expert, compassionate support to anyone who wants to quit. Their work not only helps individuals make life-changing decisions, but also strengthens our commitment to creating a healthier, safer hospital environment for everyone.”
Dr Shaz Wahid, Medical Director, South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are proud to support the work of Tobacco Dependency Treatment Services. These services have helped many patients over the past three years to stop smoking and improve their health.
“Quitting smoking can lead to fewer hospital visits, better outcomes for pregnant women, and lives saved. We will continue to support our patients with care and expert advice to help them live smokefree lives.”
Dr Jeremy Rushmer, Executive Medical Director and Executive Sponsor at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The Tobacco Dependency Treatment Service at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust plays a vital role in helping our patients achieve the best outcome.
“If a patient smokes, our tobacco dependency advisors can help their recovery in hospital. They’ll do this by offering behavioural support, education around options available, discuss setting a quit date, refer to local authorities, and follow up on the patients’ quitting journey.
“We know stopping smoking can be difficult, but getting people the right specialist support is hugely significant in their journey to quitting smoking.
“This is all part of our steps taken to support the NHS long term plan to create a smokefree generation by 2030.”
Dr Rajesh Nadkarni, Medical Director and Deputy Chief Executive at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Tackling tobacco dependence is a crucial part of improving physical health and quality of life for our people. We know that those living with mental health conditions have some of the highest rates of smoking and the greatest burden of smoking-related harm. As a mental health and disability trust addressing this inequality is central to our mission of delivering safe, high quality and effective care.
“The Tobacco Dependent Treatment Service (TDTS) plays a crucial clinical role in helping us achieve this mission. It has made a significant impact in supporting service users and staff in quitting smoking. It is assisting in our mission to embed a culture of smoke free health promoting care across all of our services. I want to thank everyone involved in this work for their commitment and drive in helping us achieve this outcome.”
Dr Venkatraghavan Ramaswamy, Consultant Psychiatrist and Associate Medical Director at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I’m really proud of our Tobacco Dependency Treatment Service. The team works hard to help people live healthier lives and never give up on anyone. They meet people, whether in hospital or at home, and support them every step of the way. We’ve heard some amazing stories from patients who have stopped smoking and feel better than ever.
“This service is a catalyst for lasting change in people’s lives, and our trust is fully supportive of this important work.”
Dr Mike Stewart, Group chief medical officer at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: “With tobacco being the biggest single driver of ill health inequality in our region, we are very pleased to see the service making a positive impact on our health services at University Hospitals Tees.
“Over the past three years, the team has made great progress in helping inpatients and pregnant smokers to quit smoking, which has led to fewer hospital admissions, lower healthcare costs and improved the wider health of our populations, but we recognise there is more to do and look forward to continuing to promote the importance of this.”
The teams work collaboratively with local authority public health teams and commissioned stop smoking services particularly for patients discharged from acute inpatient hospital to ensure a smooth transfer of care.
Key achievements include
- Identifying over 95,845 patients who smoke
- Referring over 67,900 to in house tobacco dependency services
- Supporting over 46,240 patients
- Helping 2,925 patients achieve a smoke-free outcome after 28 days or after delivery.
- Record Smoking at Time of Delivery (SATOD) low rate of 8%.
- Pioneering Innovating work supporting 1972 NHS Staff with 2% quit rate
Alfie – Gateshead
Alfie Thompson, a former smoker from Gateshead, quit smoking after nearly six decades.
He started smoking at the age of 15 and like many others, it became part of his routine. After receiving a letter offering a free lung scan, Alfie was contacted by the medical team at the QE Hospital in Gateshead. They’d spotted a small mass on his lung, which after 18 months of monitoring was confirmed to be cancer.
While undergoing radiotherapy, Alfie was introduced to Barbara from the Tobacco Dependency Treatment Service who supported him to quit smoking.
He said: “I felt scared, and my partner Sharon was panicking. I knew I had to listen, but I didn’t think I had the willpower to quit after nearly 60 years of smoking. It’s a long time.
“Barbara and the stop smoking team helped to save my life.
“Smoking ruins your health and ages you prematurely. I never thought I could quit, but I did. If I can do it after almost 60 years, so can you. Don’t wait until it’s too late – quitting could save your life.”
