One of the priorities of the mental health collaborative is the promotion of smoking cessation for people living with Severe mental illness.

As with breast cancer screening, the rates of smoking for people with SMI is far too high.  Local data for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland show that 60.2% of people within the identified SMI cohort who have a recorded smoking status are recorded as current smokers

To help address these inequalities, Sabina Khalifa, Tobacco Control Officer at Leicestershire County Council, led the development and implementation of the QuitReady Severe Mental Illness Enhanced Smoking Cessation Programme.

She said: “People living with severe mental illness (SMI) experience significant smoking-related health inequalities, so it is important that they have equitable access to effective stop smoking support.  In response, Leicestershire’s QuitReady service developed an Enhanced Programme to support people living with SMI to quit smoking.   The programme has shown the value of flexible, person-centred support and partnership working across services. An evaluation of the programme found encouraging outcomes; showing a 54%  success rate for people receiving support through the Enhanced Programme .

It is really positive to see smoking cessation recognised as a priority by the Mental Health Collaborative, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen pathways and access to support.”

Our message is that we want people to come forward to take part in our QuitReady programme, but we also want professionals such a GP practice staff, social services and mental health teams to refer people to us and to our colleagues in the city.

You can do this on the Joy platform – QuitReady Stop Smoking Service (Leicestershire & Rutland).