Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services: England, April 2012 to December 2012 (Q3 - Quarterly report)

502,917 people set a quit date through NHS Stop Smoking Services, a decrease of 12 per cent (70,705) on the final figure for same period in 2011/12 (573,622), and a decrease of 6 per cent (32,905) on the final figure for the same period in 2010/11 (535,822).

At the 4 week follow-up 253,174 people had successfully quit (based on self-report), 50 per cent of those setting a quit date. This is a decrease of 9 per cent (24,915) on the final figure for the same period in 2011/12 (278,089), and also a decrease of 1 per cent (3,488) on the final figure for the same period in 2010/11 (256,662).

72 per cent of successful quitters at the 4 week follow-up had their results confirmed by Carbon Monoxide (CO) verification . This percentage was 71 per cent based on final figures for the same period in 2011/12 and 69 per cent based on final figures for the same period in 2010/11. (Carbon Monoxide (CO) validation measures the level of carbon monoxide in the bloodstream and provides an indication of the level of use of tobacco: it is a motivational tool for clients as well as validation of their smoking status. CO validation should be attempted on all clients who self-report as having successfully quit at the 4-week follow-up, except those who were followed up by telephone).

Of those setting a quit date, success at the four week follow-up increased with age, from 33 per cent of those aged under 18, to 58 per cent of those aged 60 and over.

Of the 15,790 pregnant women who set a quit date, 7,300 successfully quit at the four week follow-up (46 per cent).

The majority of those setting a quit date received Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) only (64 per cent). A further 26 per cent received varenicline (Champix) only, 1 per cent received bupropion (Zyban) only, 2 per cent received both NRT and varenicline and less than 1  per cent received both NRT and bupropion. 5 per cent of people setting a quit date did not receive any pharmacotherapy and the type of treatment was unknown for a further 3 per cent.

Of those who used varenicline only, 61 per cent successfully quit, compared with 55 per cent who received bupropion only, and 47 per cent who received NRT only. 53 per cent of people who did not receive any type of pharmacotherapy successfully quit. (These data should not be used to assess or compare the clinical effectiveness of the various pharmacotherapies as they reflect only the results obtained through the NHS stop smoking services, and are not based on clinical trials. A trained stop smoking advisor discusses and agrees the treatment option with each client.)

Total expenditure on NHS Stop Smoking Services was £63.4 million, an increase of 1 per cent (£0.9 million) on the final figure for the same period in 2011/12 (£62.5 million) and an increase of 5 per cent (£3.1 million) on the final figure for the same period in 2010/11 (£60.2 million). The cost per quitter is £250 compared with £225 based on final figures for the same period in 2011/12 and £235 based on final figures for the same period in 2010/11. These figures do not include expenditure on pharmacotherapies.

Among Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs), South Central SHA reported the highest proportion of successful quitters (56 per cent), while North East SHA and North West SHA reported the lowest success rate (46 per cent).

Among Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), Waltham Forest PCT reported the highest proportion of successful quitters (74 per cent), while Manchester PCT reported the lowest success rate (30 per cent).

For Quarter 3 in 2011/12, the increase between the provisional figures and the final figures was 3.8 per cent for the number setting a quit date and 5.0 per cent for the number of successful quitters (based on self-report). This suggests that the final figures for 2012/13 may be higher than the provisional figures stated above.

For Quarter 3 in 2011/12, there was an increase of 0.5 per cent between the provisional and final Quarter 3 expenditure figure.