Simon quits smoking thanks to support from our tobacco reduction team

Every year, well over 5,000 admissions to hospitals in Somerset are caused by smoking, and when asked, most of these patients say they would like to quit.

We have a team of tobacco reduction practitioners who meet patients who smoke once they’re admitted to one of our wards, and they help them to quit if they would like to.

This includes 1:1 support, as well as access to medications or other preventative tools that can help the patient on their journey to quitting.

One patient who benefited from the service was Simon (pictured right), who first began smoking when he was 14 years old, and was soon puffing away on 20 cigarettes a day.

Deep down, Simon wanted to quit, but had been smoking for so long that he felt it was too late. He had tried giving up previously when other family members wanted him to for health reasons, but was unsuccessful.

He had been experiencing pains in his chest, back and arm, but put these down to him getting older as he has an active job.

Following a short break away in Cornwall, Simon felt quite unwell when he returned home and went to bed. He was getting chest pain, which at first he put down to heartburn.

When his wife spoke with their daughter, who works for the NHS, they insisted he needed to be checked out, so they called an ambulance.

Simon admits that he didn’t really want to go into hospital as he thought he was wasting everyone’s time, but it was when he was brought into Yeovil Hospital that it was discovered he’d actually had a heart attack.

While being cared for on the hospital’s acute cardiovascular unit, Simon was seen by our cardiac specialist nurse, and was also assessed by Joyce Pitman, our tobacco reduction specialist practitioner. Before these interventions, Simon hadn’t ever thought that smoking might have contributed to his heart attack.

Colleagues on the ward issued him with a nicotine patch, and he was due to be discharged that day. He was also offered a referral to Smokefree Somerset for up to 12 weeks of free medication and support after his discharge.

He was followed up by Joyce on behalf of Smokefree Somerset, and to everyone’s delight he was still smoke free! He was still receiving phone calls of support from Joyce until he reached his 12-week quit date, at which point he said it was fantastic to be able to tell her that he was still smokefree and doing well!

Simon says he would encourage anyone to give up as he feels so much healthier. He no longer has a cough in the morning and evenings, and has his taste and smell back. Very randomly, his tastes have changed where no longer likes coffee, but instead loves the taste of pears!

In total, Simon has saved £1,000 since he quit tobacco, and his goal is to use this extra cash to visit a Grand Prix abroad.

Simon says the visits and support he received on the ward by our tobacco reduction practitioners were invaluable as they helped him to really think about his smoking habit and take in the information given.

And in even better news, Simon’s son, who also used to smoke tobacco, has now swapped to vaping since his father’s heart attack!

Martin Shore, our tobacco reduction programme manager, says: “It was so heartening to hear of Simon’s story, and I’m pleased that our team were able to help him to quit smoking, as he’ll now reap so many health (and financial) benefits.

“We know that stopping smoking is one of the best things people can do to improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing, and it also helps to reduce health inequalities.

“Within 20 minutes of putting out your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure drop back to normal. Fast forward to two weeks after your last cigarette, and your circulation and lung function improve – and the risk of various disease and cancers drop significantly in the following years.

“Research shows that most smokers who are hospitalised do actually want to quit smoking, and this is something we are able to actively help them with.

“In the last six months, almost 50 patients who’ve accepted a referral to Smokefree Somerset have successfully quit smoking – one in four. Since our service began, 241 patients have quit smoking for good - an amazing achievement for them."