NHS stop smoking services quarterly
Local Delivery Plan Standard, 2024/25 (Quarter 1)

About this release

This release by Public Health Scotland (PHS) presents information on NHS Stop Smoking Services in Scotland and their progress towards their annual Local Delivery Plan (LDP) Standard. The LDP Standard for NHS Scotland in 2024/25 is to achieve at least 7,026 self-reported successful twelve-week quits through smoking cessation services in the 40% most deprived areas (60% in NHS Island Boards). For more information on the LDP standard see publication metadata and data tables. 

Main points

• During Q1 of 2024/25, NHS Scotland achieved 77% (1,352 quits out of 1,757) of the required quarterly LDP Standard.
• In the financial year 2024/25 so far, NHS Scotland has achieved 19% (1,352 quits out of 7,026) towards the required annual LDP standard.

Bar graph of NHS Health Board performance against the LDP Standard.

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Scotland and NHS Board performance against the LDP Standard at end of Q1

• At the end of Q1, 3 out of 14 NHS Boards are currently on target to meet their annual LDP Standard. Performance against their quarterly LDP Standard ranged from 11% to 142%.
• During Q1, individuals accessing non-pharmacy services were recorded as still not smoking after 12 weeks at a rate of 43% and individuals accessing pharmacy based services were recorded as still not smoking after 12 weeks at a rate of 20%.

Background

In July 2005 a national smoking cessation database was set up to capture data on people presenting to NHS services in Scotland for help to stop smoking. The database is designed to collect the national minimum dataset for smoking cessation services from all 14 NHS Boards in Scotland. The minimum dataset is the mandatory client information required for national monitoring purposes, developed by PATH (Partnership Action on Tobacco and Health). 

Figures are based on total quit attempts set during the year, rather than total number of people with a quit attempt, so could include repeat quit attempts for the same person. The LDP Standard changed in 2018/19 to exclude quit attempts in prisons, therefore comparisons of quit attempts prior to 2018/19 are based on different definitions and are not valid. Note that as of this December 2024 release the NHS Stop Smoking Services Dashboard includes new information on Community Pharmacy level quit attempts and new quit attempts started. More detailed information on quit attempts can also be found within the NHS Stop Smoking Services Scotland annual report. 

This report has updated Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) analysis for years 2017/18 to 2019/20 which has had a minor impact on LDP standard figures for these years. This report has also reanalysed historical data from 2014/15 to 2023/24.  While some figures in this release differ to previously published figures, this has not changed the findings or interpretation of previously presented statistics. For more information on the changes and the impact please see the associated publication metadata and data tables. 

Further information

The next release of this publication will be March 2025.