Acute Services

How can you help someone who is smoking whilst in hospital?

For some people, being in hospital can be a stressful and worrying time. For someone who smokes, it may be very difficult and challenging for them to refrain from smoking.

As a health professional there are things you can do and say to help tip the balance in trying to help the patient stay smokefree:

• • Inform patients about the risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting
  • Discuss barriers, triggers and relapse predictors, whilst assisting the client in developing appropriate strategies to cope with them
  • Use CO readings as a motivational tool
  • Discuss potential ways of changing patients daily routines and physical environments to minimise exposure to smoking cues
  • When appropriate, provide stop smoking medication to the patient during their stay in hospital
  • Complete a secure referral to our stop smoking service

What happens after a patient is discharged from hospital?

• Once the admin team have received the referral, the client is contacted within 48 hours
• The client will be offered an appointment as soon as possible and contacted on their agreed date and time
• A stop smoking advisor will set out a harm reduction/quit plan with the client via their chosen contact method (telephone or face to face)
• The client will be offered NRT for up to 16 weeks alongside behavioural support from their stop smoking advisor

What is the Harm Reduction Plan?

At Smokefree Liverpool we have an alternative option for clients who find setting an abrupt quit date difficult or those who have tried to stop multiple times before. The Harm Reduction pathway has been designed to help encourage clients to set smaller goals in reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Their weekly goals and quit plan are designed by their stop smoking advisor. Each week the client will be contacted by their stop smoking advisor and asked if they have been successful in reaching their goal. If their goal has been reached, then a new one will be set. The client will consistently be encouraged and praised by their stop smoking advisor along the way until hopefully the client feels confident enough to set a quit date.

What support can clients expect to get from their stop smoking advisor?

• Non-judgemental
• A highly experienced stop smoking advisor
• Consistent praise, encouragement, and motivation
• Excellent listening
• Dedication