Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust achieves top rating in national SmokeFree survey
Some of the initiatives taking place involve offering patients support with quitting, as well as discouraging staff, patients, and visitors from smoking on site, smoking shelters have been designated as vaping shelters, improving signage, and adding an annunciator which plays a message asking visitors to stop smoking outside the main entrance.
Alongside NHS organisations across the country, the Trust will be supporting Stoptober this month to encourage staff and patients alike to kick the habit for good.
This year could be the most important time for you to give up smoking.
Alongside the immediate health benefits of quitting, Public Health England states that if you smoke, you generally have an increased risk of contracting respiratory infections and experiencing more severe symptoms once infected. This means that if you become unwell with COVID-19, you might be putting your health at more serious risk if you are a smoker.
Corinne Mildiner, the Trust’s Specialist Stop Smoking Midwife, has helped 54 pregnant women stop smoking in the last year. Corinne said,
It’s vital for pregnant women to try and stop smoking to keep themselves and their babies safe from the dangers of cigarette smoke.
There are so many benefits to quitting. Your child will have a lower risk of health problems, such as asthma and lung infections. You will also reduce the risk of premature birth, cot death (sudden infant death syndrome) and still birth, with smoking while pregnant being the number one risk factor.
“The earlier you give up smoking in pregnancy, the better for mum and baby. It’s even better to give up before getting pregnant, so if you are considering having a baby, why not use this Stoptober as an opportunity. Research has shown that if you quit for 28 days, you're five times more likely to quit for good.”
Anyone can download the free NHS Stoptober app, which can help you quit by tracking your progress, showing how much money you are saving, and sending you daily support.
You can also find help and support at the Live Well Swindon Hub, who offers a free Stop Smoking Service. You can access this service by calling 01793 465513 or emailing swindon.stopsmoking@nhs.net
