Patients to be urged to stop smoking before surgery
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Feb 2 2009 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail
PATIENTS will be encouraged to stop smoking before undergoing an operation as a new scheme is launched today.
NHS staff will be trained to offer stop-smoking advice and patients will be referred to a special support scheme run by Stop Smoking Wales.
It is hoped that the initiative will lower the risks of complications for smokers following surgery.
Smoking increases the chance of complications such as breathing and lung problems, risk of infection and poorer healing of wounds, all of which mean that smokers are more likely to stay in hospital longer than non-smokers.
Stopping smoking at least eight weeks before an operation can reduce the chance of these complications and save the NHS up to 7,000 bed days a year in Wales.
Dr Tony Jewell, Wales’ chief medical officer, who will launch the new service today at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, in Llantrisant, said: “Currently around a quarter of the Welsh population smoke and the proportion of adults who smoke remains higher in the more deprived parts of Wales.
“This means there is a correlation between deprivation and poor health, with the pattern of inequalities in the health of the most deprived people in Wales continuing.
“This new initiative will help by signposting smokers to dedicated support to help them quit before their operation.
“Pre-operative smoking cessation encourages patients to take more responsibility for reducing their recovery time by quitting smoking before an operation.
“It is the collective responsibility of government, the health sector, communities and individuals to work towards improving the health of the people of Wales.”
All outpatient and vascular nurses will be trained to offer smoking cessation advice and refer patients to the Stop Smoking Wales specialist behavioural support programme.
Claire Bevan, divisional nurse in acute services at Cwm Taf NHS Trust, said: “More than 50 staff in Cwm Taf NHS Trust alone have already received free training from Stop Smoking Wales specialists and there is a programme of training under way across Wales.
“Working with Stop Smoking Wales will help to reduce the pressure on NHS staff by reducing post-operative complications.
“It’s estimated that around 700 hospital beds are used as a result of smoking-related illnesses every day in Wales.
“That’s why we’re welcoming this new initiative which will not only benefit the patients and the NHS, but also benefit the staff as they develop new skills.”
The National Public Health Service for Wales is working with NHS trusts and Stop Smoking Wales to support the roll out of the initiative across Wales.
Nicola John, the local public health director for Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil, said: “Smoking kills around 6,000 people in Wales every year and is the single most preventable cause of premature death.
“This new initiative is built on research which clearly shows the benefits of stopping smoking at least eight weeks before an operation.
“Smokers who stop before an operation are much less likely to suffer from infections, breathing and lung problems, and slow healing of wounds. Their stay in hospital could also be considerably shorter.
“We know that quitting smoking for good can seem like an impossible task to people who have been smoking for a long time or who have tried to quit before.
“That’s why we’re encouraging people to seek support from the specialists at Stop Smoking Wales and just give up for a short period of time before planned surgery in order to reduce their risk of post-operative complications.
“However, we also hope that once they’ve seen the benefits of not smoking for a short period of time they’ll kick the habit for good.”
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