Partnership working supports Smokefree Derby and Derbyshire

By Louise Noon, Public Health Lead for Tobacco Control Derby and Derbyshire 

More than 2,800 people have been supported to quit smoking across Derby and Derbyshire in the last financial year thanks to a new partnership approach.

Stop smoking advisors from Live Well and Live Life Better Derbyshire helped them achieve a four-week quit with tailored support, including one-to-one sessions, telephone calls and access to free nicotine replacement therapy, vapes and stop smoking medications.

This key achievement comes as Derby and Derbyshire Tobacco Control Strategic Board has brought together the NHS, Public Health, the voluntary sector, Trading Standards and others to achieve Smokefree status by 2030.

Other notable successes of the partnership include:

  • Derby and Derbyshire ICB continue to invest in Tobacco Dependency Treatment (TDT) that enabled over 3,500 inpatients to have a quality conversation around tobacco use. Royal Derby Hospital were the first NHS trust in the country to offer Cytisine (a stop smoking medication) as part of their inpatient offer.
  • Joint work by midwives and TDT advisers resulted in a continued fall in smoking at the time of delivery from 10.7% in 2022/23 to 7.5% in 2024/25. In February Chesterfield Royal Hospital went live with a pilot of the National smoke-free pregnancy incentive scheme and had the first baby born to a parent who had participated in the scheme.
  • NHS funding has been secured for a pilot tobacco dependency treatment project in the emergency department at University Hospital Derby and Burton.
  • Public Health teams in Derby and Derbyshire have used additional Government funding to increase support to vulnerable populations who are more likely to smoke and may struggle to access community-based stop smoking services.
  • Derbyshire has funded Derbyshire Alcohol Addictions Service and Chesterfield Football Club Spireites Trust to embed stop smoking advisers within their organisations to support people in recovery from substance dependence to give up smoking
  • Derby has funded dedicated stop smoking advisors to support tenants of Derby Homes, as research shows that social housing tenants are three times more likely to smoke, helping people to embrace a smoke-free life. In Derbyshire, they’re working closely with social housing providers such as Futures Housing to support tenants to quit.

And together, Derby and Derbyshire were successful in a bid to obtain vape starter kits and vouchers for obtaining a free vape kit as part of the national Swap to Stop scheme to support smokers to switch from smoking to vaping.

Vapes are a useful quitting aid to support adult smokers to quit as they pose a small fraction of the risk compared to smoking. The Swap to Stop scheme has been offered in a range of settings including some food pantries and workplaces.

Despite the huge progress that has been made in reducing rates of smoking, it remains the largest avoidable cause of death and illness across Derby and Derbyshire.  Smoking causes around 1,300 deaths each year, over 10,000 hospital admissions and is responsible for around half the difference in life expectancy between our least and most disadvantaged communities.

Stopping the Start and Creating Smokefree Environments

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust that provides mental health services across Derby and Derbyshire have become a smoke-free Trust at all its sites.  This means that all staff, service users and visitors are not allowed to smoke on site. 

Derbyshire County Council’s Public Health Team is supporting businesses across the County to become smoke-free including a local bakery and a private provider of mental health services.

Derbyshire Community Health Services (DCHS) 0-19 Children’s Services have been commissioned by Derbyshire County Council Public Health to support more smoke-free homes. The health visitor service has specially trained staff to support parents of pre-school children to quit smoking.

Smokefree Derby and Derbyshire

Meanwhile, a series of communications campaigns are being delivered under the Smokefree Derby and Derbyshire campaign – incorporating Livewell and Live Life Better Derbyshire – to raise awareness of the support available through local stop smoking services.

Smokefree Derby and Derbyshire website has gone live with a professional’s section under development which will provide a range useful information and resources.

And you can hear about all the good work happening to support the ambition of Derby and Derbyshire becoming smokefree by 2030 by subscribing to our newsletter here