New Smoking Cessation Service (SCS) for patients being discharged from hospital
Written by AlisonFreemantle on Friday 25th February 2022
New Advanced Service will officially start on 10th March 2022 (No Smoking Day)
Deciding whether to provide the service
Since the SCS is an Advanced service, pharmacies can choose whether to provide the service or not and when they want to start providing it. You do not have to register straight away; you can choose to register at any time. Pharmacies can register to provide the service from Tuesday 1st March on MYS.
The service must be provided by a pharmacist, due to the current rules on exemptions for VAT, but work is ongoing to explore whether those rules can be amended to allow support staff to provide the service in the future. Pharmacists will have to complete the NCSCT training (section 3 of the service spec) before providing the service.
Pharmacies will need to have a CO monitor and disposable mouthpieces that meets the specification in Appendix A.
A set-up fee of £1,000 will be paid following registration on MYS to provide the service, having declared the pharmacy is ready to provide the service.
A draft version of the SCS service specification has been published and is available on the NHSBSA website.
PSNC has published the following resources to support contractors to consider whether to provide the service and to support them to implement it, where they choose to do so:
- PSNC Briefing 008/22: Guidance on the Smoking Cessation Service;
- PSNC Briefing 007/22: Contractor checklist – implementing the Smoking Cessation Service;
- PSNC Briefing 006/22: Briefing for pharmacy teams on the Smoking Cessation Service; and
- Contractor letter / email template to GP practice about the Smoking Cessation Service.
Not all NHS Trusts/ hospitals will immediately start to make referrals to the service, but NHSE&I expect most to be making referrals within two years from the commencement date.
At present, University Hospital Southampton has been referring patients in Southampton City either for NRT supply or for registration on the local enhanced service. These patients are outpatients attending clinics not inpatients being discharged therefore this service will continue for now.
For pharmacies who do register to provide the service please let the LPC know alison.freemantle@cpsc.org.uk to help inform our discussions with the local NHS Trusts.