Performance of English stop smoking services in first 10 years: analysis of service monitoring data

Objectives To analyse the performance of the English Stop Smoking Services from 2001/02 to 2010/11. Design Analysis of national service monitoring data. Setting England. Participants Smokers recorded as having been treated by English stop smoking services between April 2001 and March 2011. Main outcome measures Annual figures for the number of quit dates set (throughput), the percentage of these that led to biochemically verified abstinence after four weeks (four week quit rate), and the "impact" in terms of the number of four week quitters beyond those who it is estimated would have stopped with only a prescription for smoking cessation treatment; characteristics of smokers being treated, medication used, and mode of delivery (for example, one to one, group based); variability across local services in throughput, four week quit rates, and impact for 2010/11. Results Throughput rose from 227 335 in 2001/02 to 787 527 (8% of all smokers) in 2010/11. The percentage of four week quitters declined slightly from 35% to 34%. Impact rose from 22 933 four week quitters created in 2001/02 to 72 411 in 2010/11 (corresponding to an estimated 21 723 12 month quitters). The services were successful in reaching disadvantaged smokers; 54% (n=425 684) were in receipt of free prescriptions in 2010/11. Substantial variation existed across local services in throughput, success rates, and impact. Conclusions The English stop smoking services have had an increasing impact in helping smokers to stop in their first 10 years of operation and have successfully reached disadvantaged groups. However, performance across local services has varied considerably.