QUIT4LIFE has been awarded the stop smoking service contract by Hampshire County Council (HCC).

Quit4Life has been offering this service in Hampshire, (excluding the Southampton and Portsmouth City Council areas) since July 2007, and aside from a core team of around 30 people, it has over 200 sub-contractors working for the service throughout the HCC area in community pharmacies and GP practices. Since 2007, Quit4Life has supported over 113,000 people who want to quit smoking.

Julia Robson, clinical service manager at Quit4Life, said: “I am delighted that Southern Health NHS Trust have been awarded the stop smoking service contract for the HCC area, and I am very proud to be part of such a committed and enthusiastic team. Quit4Life is excited about the opportunities that the new contract provides to support more smokers to quit and stay quit longer.

“Quit4Life is supported by a superb team of colleagues ‘behind the scenes’ in Southern Health who provide invaluable business support and the service would not work so well without them. We also work with colleagues across Hampshire from hospitals to the community, schools to workplaces to support smokers of all ages to have a healthier and wealthier life.”

Patricia Stallard, HCC executive member for health and public health, said: “There are estimated to be around 200,000 smokers in Hampshire. Giving up smoking is difficult, but to stop, even for one day, can make a big difference to health. Giving up smoking will lead to improved financial, physical and health benefits including better sense of taste and smell and a reduced risk of chronic breathing problems, lung cancer and heart disease.

“It is not just the individual who benefits, the cost of smoking to society across Hampshire as a whole is around £302 million per year, including health and social care costs, loss of productivity in businesses and dealing with waste and fires caused by cigarettes. The Quit4Life service provides effective support for those who have made the all important decision to give up.”

Over the years, Quit4Life has evolved to meet the needs of the people it is reaching. These changes include collaborating with other organisations to support specific issues people may face while giving up smoking such as helping with weight loss, mental health referrals for those struggling with the change and linking with local diabetes clinics. As Southern Health also operates a number of these services, they are able to refer patients directly into Quit4Life. Among the main aims of the new contract, which comes into place in October, is continuing to help quitters stay quit.

Ginny Taylor, head of children and family services at Southern Health NHS Trust, said: “Stopping smoking is one of the most effective ways parents and families can protect babies, children and young people. This fantastic success means that we will be able to continue the work by our Quit4Life team alongside our health visiting and school nursing services to help ensure all our Hampshire children live healthy happy smoke-free lives.”

Quit4Life offers face-to-face sessions across the county as well as telephone and online support, see www.quit4life.nhs.uk or phone 0845 6024663.