As we look back on 10 years of Reed Wellbeing, we want to spotlight the important work that we have been doing support people to stop smoking.
Reed Wellbeing has a long history of providing integrated health services for local authorities with a focus on smoking cessation. In 2016 we began delivering our first smoking cessation service as part of our delivery of the integrated health service One You Haringey.
Since then we have continually developed our offer to provide the best quality support to individuals trying to stop smoking and improve their health. We currently deliver smoking cessation services in Essex, Leeds, Norfolk, Stoke-on-Trent, Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster, and have supported 64% of people using our services to stop smoking for good.
We combine clinical expertise, behavioural change techniques and a personalised approach to support individuals to achieve sustainable quit attempts, reducing their risk of illness and helping them to live longer, healthier lives.
Our Health Coaches provide smokers with:
One-to-one personalised support to make a quit plan and set a quit date.
Advice on what nicotine replacement therapy would be best (if appropriate), including quit aids such as gums, patches and inhalators.
Regular phone or video calls to provide support and encouragement along the way.
As we help people explore the impact of their smoking, their habits, motivations and triggers, we empower them to create personalised stop-smoking plans. Alongside this, we teach coping mechanisms to help participants with managing side effects and withdrawal symptoms, decreasing their chances of relapse.
We’ve also adapted our approach to help vulnerable people stop smoking, including pregnant women and people with mental health conditions. In partnership with Together For Mental Wellbeing we recently delivered a pilot which supported over 180 participants over a 12 month period who were diagnosed with a severe mental illness. Over 50% were able to sustain a four-week quit attempt with our help.
We know that making sustainable lifestyle changes can be difficult. More people than ever are seeking out digital behavioural change services as they are more accessible and easier to fit around a busy schedule. To address this, we recently launched a new digital service, Be Tobacco Free, through our digital platform, My Wellbeing Hub.
Be Tobacco Free is a fully remote, self-service smoking cessation programme meaning that it’s easier than ever for service participants to access our expert, evidence-based advice and guidance to quit smoking for good. With video coaching sessions, live Health Coach support and the support to access nicotine replacement therapy, Be Tobacco Free combines all elements of our support in one accessible digital offering.
Through our decade-long commitment to providing quality smoking cessation services, we have empowered thousands to stop smoking. As we look to the future, we remain dedicated to improving health outcomes and supporting individuals to lead longer, healthier, smoke-free lives.
Shelley made the decision to stop smoking after being diagnosed with breast cancer. To increase her chances of quitting for good, she accessed support from our Smokefree Norfolk service. 15 months and one surgery later, Shelley told us how our service supported her, what coping mechanisms she learned, and why quitting smoking was the best thing she ever did. Watch Shelley’s story below: