The number of people that set a quit date(2) (586,340) through the NHS Stop Smoking Services in 2013/14 has declined by 19 per cent since 2012/13 (724,250), a new report from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) shows.

This is the first time the number has fallen for two consecutive years since NHS Stop Smoking Services were set up in all Health Authorities in England in 2000/01. The number of people that successfully quit(3) having set a quit date stood at 300,540 (51 per cent) in 2013/14.

The 60 and over age group had the highest percentage of people who successfully quit (58 per cent). The under-18 age group, in comparison, had the lowest percentage of people who successfully quit (39 per cent).

Key findings in the report Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England also show that in 2013-14:

  • 47 per cent of pregnant women setting a quit date (19,870) successfully gave up smoking. This success rate was the same as last year.
  • Of the people who set a quit date and were eligible to receive free prescriptions (332,130), half (165,960) successfully quit.
  • One-to-one4support was used by 82 per cent (479,570) of those setting a quit date.
  • More women successfully quit (152,450) than men (148,090). However, the success rate of giving up smoking was lower amongst women at 50 per cent compared to men at 52 per cent.
  • Nine out of ten people who reported they had successfully quit smoking received pharmacotherapies(5) such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) in 2013/14.

The number of people setting a quit date with the NHS Stop Smoking Services between 2012/13 and 2013/14 decreased in all nine regions for the second consecutive year. London had the lowest percentage decrease at 16 per cent whilst Yorkshire and the Humber had the highest percentage decrease at 24 per cent in 2013/14.

The North East reported both the highest rate of people setting a quit date (2,020 per 100,000 population) and the highest rate of people who successfully quit (932 per 100,000) in 2013/14.

The South East reported the lowest rate of people setting a quit date (1,040 per 100,000 population) and the lowest rate of people that successfully quit (567 per 100,000 population) in 2013/14.

HSCIC Chair Kingsley Manning said: "There has been a large decline in the number of people setting a quit date this year through using the NHS Stop Smoking Services. However, the fact that the success rate has remained at over 50 per cent demonstrates that this service helps patients that want to stop smoking."

Read the report here: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/sssapr13mar14