Stoptober Success: AMU Achieves 100% Smoking Screening Rate and Faster Access to Quit Support

Every patient admitted to the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) is now being screened for smoking status on arrival, helping the team achieve a 100 per cent screening rate and ensuring patients who smoke can access specialist support and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) without delay.

As Stoptober gets underway, the milestone highlights how a simple change to everyday practice can help patients access support sooner and improve their chances of quitting smoking.

The improvement follows a change to the admission process, with ward clerks now asking every patient about their smoking status when booking them onto the unit and updating the smoking Key Safety Indicator (KSI) straight away.

Senior Staff Nurse Natasha said: "Introducing smoking KSI screening as soon as patients arrived on AMU made a real difference. Our ward clerks ask the question when booking patients in and update the smoking KSI as part of the admission process. This ensures all patients are screened and can access smoking support services and NRT as quickly as possible."

By making smoking screening a routine part of admission, the team has ensured patients are identified early and offered support without delay.

The AMU team also praised the work of the Tobacco Dependency Team in helping drive the improvement and providing practical support to staff.

Natasha added: "UHNM’s  Dependency Team were brilliant at keeping everyone motivated by regularly sharing our performance figures so the team could see the progress being made. She also worked closely with our ward pharmacist to make sure we always had the NRT we needed to support patients."

She added: "Make it part of the admission process to ensure patients are screened as soon as they arrive on the ward. If it's built into the process, it can't get missed."

AMU's achievement shows how small changes can have a big impact. By identifying smokers early and providing fast access to support and treatment, the team is helping patients take positive steps towards better health while supporting UHNM's ambition to become a smoke-free organisation.

As Stoptober encourages people across Staffordshire to quit smoking this October, AMU's experience is a great example of how embedding tobacco dependency treatment into routine care can make a lasting difference for patients.

For more information about smoking support for staff and patients, visit the UHNM smoking support page.