Background:
The NHS is under pressure regarding hospital admissions and treatment of smoking related illnesses. The NHS Long Term Plan includes mandating identification and an opt-out community referral process upon discharge for smoking cessation.

Objectives:
Staffordshire Hospitals commissioned Everyone Health as the local community provider to implement an inpatient identification and support service in 2022, which is now fully embedded.

Methods:
Smokers are identified by medical staff and referred to Everyone Health Stop Smoking Practitioners to visit whilst they are an inpatient. Whilst an inpatient, they are given the opportunity to have NRT to support them while they are unwell and unable to smoke. They are discharged with a two week supply of NRT and a referral is made to community services upon discharge, where their care, and treatment is continued for 12 weeks.

Results:
An increase has been seen in referrals to community smoking clinics. On average 61% of clients accept the offer of inpatient treatment and community referrals post discharge to maintain their abstinence. 68% of this population go on to achieving a smoke free status 28 days post discharge. We hope to see the impact on hospital admissions due to smoking related illnesses in the future.

Conclusions:
The approach has been effective and well-received by the local community, patients and the NHS.