Case Study: Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust achieves higher quit rates with NHS Employers' nicotine replacement programme

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust - Customer Case Study

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, an NHS organization with 7,500 employees, sought to reduce staff sickness absences and work towards becoming a smoke-free trust by 2018. A key challenge was a lack of funding for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help staff quit smoking, despite research showing it significantly increases quit rates. The trust partnered with NHS Employers to design and implement a staff nicotine replacement pilot programme.

NHS Employers helped the trust launch a 12-week NRT and smoking cessation support pilot, which included providing funded therapy vouchers, establishing regular on-site clinics, and implementing robust data tracking. The vendor aided in developing a clear business case, securing funding, and driving consistent internal communications. The results showed that after six months, 29% of the 51 participating staff had quit smoking, matching national success rates with NRT. Based on this outcome, the trust secured funding to run the NHS Employers-supported programme for 100 staff annually over the next three years.

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust