Smokefree service

West London NHS Trust is a smokefree organisation. This means smoking tobacco is not permitted in any trust building, gardens or grounds, including Ealing Community Partners sites.

Our smokefree service aims to make sure that patients receive the best possible care to help manage cravings and reduce their use of tobacco, which can include one-to-one behavioural support and medication.

The smokefree service provides treatment and support for:

Patients who want to give up smoking
Patients who don’t want to give up smoking, but must temporarily abstain from smoking while in trust hospitals (Clayponds Hospital, acute mental health services, West London Forensic Services and Broadmoor Hospital).

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness in the UK, with smokers dying on average 10 years earlier than non-smokers. People with mental health conditions smoke significantly more than others and, therefore, experience even greater smoke-related harm.

The highest prevalence of smoking is found among psychiatric inpatients. It’s estimated that 70% of inpatients smoke, with 50% described as heavy smokers. As well as causing a wide range of diseases and medical conditions, smoking has a negative impact on mental health. Smokers experience more severe mental health symptoms, require higher doses of psychotropic medication and spend more time in hospital compared to people with a mental illness who don’t smoke.

The smokefree service provides the following training for clinical staff:

Level 1 Mental health and smoking cessation. This equips healthcare professionals with basic skills and knowledge to offer smokers brief advice, provide screening and refer them for further support.
Level 2 (Advanced) mental health and nicotine management treatment training. This course aims to enable staff to provide intensive evidence-based support to help service users manage their tobacco dependence.