Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services - England, April to September 2007, Q2, Quarterly report

The key results show that in England during the period April to September 2007:

• 327,800 people set a quit date through NHS Stop Smoking Services, an increase of 29 per cent over the same period in 2006/07 and 21 per cent over the same period in 2005/06
• at the 4 week follow-up 164,711 people had successfully quit (based on self-report), 50 per cent of those setting a quit date. This compares with 128,868 successful quitters in the same period in 2006/07 (an increase of 28 per cent), and 142,188 successful quitters in 2005/06 (16 per cent increase)
• of those setting a quit date, success at the four-week follow up increased with age, from 37 per cent of those aged under 18, to 59 per cent of those aged 60 and over
• of the 8,619 pregnant women who set a quit date, 4,084 successfully quit at the 4 week follow-up (47 per cent)
• the majority of those setting a quit date received Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) only (74 per cent). A further 10 per cent received Champix (varenicline) only, 4 per cent received bupropion (Zyban) only and less than 1 per cent received both NRT and bupropion. Six per cent of people setting a quit date did not receive any smoking cessation aid and the type of treatment was unknown for a further 6 per cent
• champix was the most successful smoking cessation aid in helping people quit. Of those who used champix 64 per cent successfully quit, compared with 53 per cent who received bupropion only, and 48 per cent who received NRT
• expenditure on NHS Stop Smoking Services was £26.7* million. This compares to £23.4 million in the same period in 2006/07. The cost of the NHS Stop Smoking Services per quitter was £164*, compared with £181 during the same period in 2006/07
• among Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs), the East Midlands, East of England, South East Coast and South Central SHAs reported the highest proportion of successful quitters (55 per cent), while the North East SHA reported the lowest success rate (45 per cent)
• among Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), East & North Hertfordshire PCT reported the highest proportion of successful quitters (83 per cent), while Croydon PCT reported the lowest success rate (26 per cent).

*Excludes data for Wakefield District PCT for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 (April 2007 to June 2007 and July to September 2007) and for Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT for Quarter 2.