Smoking remains one of the most significant public health challenges in the UK, with around six million adults still smoking. The NHS has set an ambitious target: to reduce smoking prevalence by 5% by 2030. Meeting this challenge requires not only effective interventions but also services that are scalable, accessible and outcome driven.
Evidence shows that people who access community stop smoking services are three times more likely to succeed than those who attempt to quit unaided. Our model brings together evidence-based behavioural coaching and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). We deliver flexibly through clinics in community locations, pharmacies and hubs, with telephone and face-to-face support in convenient locations.
This approach ensures we meet people where they are, removing barriers to access in order to maximise engagement.
Behavioural science at the core
Central to this delivery model is a rigorous, evidence-based approach to behaviour change. Our programmes build on the COM-B model, focusing on Capability, Opportunity and Motivation to quit. Each participant receives a tailored quit plan, supported by regular coaching sessions over 8 to 12 weeks. Coaches help clients set realistic goals, navigate challenges and develop sustainable coping strategies that continue beyond the programme.
Every plan is aligned with NICE guidance and NCSCT standards, ensuring high-quality, evidence-based practice. Crucially, our coaches bring not just professional expertise but also lived experience of quitting. This creates a supportive, non-judgemental environment that resonates with our service users.
Quitting smoking is rarely a one-off event. National evidence shows it can take up to 30 attempts for some of the most entrenched smokers to quit. That’s why our model emphasises continuous, compassionate support across multiple quit attempts. This ensures every engagement counts and every setback becomes a learning towards success.
Proven impact through local partnerships
Our stop smoking model has demonstrated measurable, sustained impact across multiple regions – combining community engagement, behavioural science and system-level integration to deliver equitable outcomes.
In Buckinghamshire, our Be Healthy Bucks healthy lifestyle service, delivered in partnership with Buckinghamshire Council, supports residents to quit smoking, reduce their alcohol intake and manage their weight.
Figures show that around 11% of the county’s adults smoke. This rises to 21% among people in manual occupations, demonstrating a stark reminder of how health inequalities persist. Our approach directly addresses these disparities through community-based clinics, employer partnerships and a ‘swap to stop’ vaping initiative that makes quitting more accessible.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, more than 1,000 people achieved four weeks completely smoke-free. This is a key milestone on the journey to long-term cessation. Over two years of delivery, nearly 3,000 individuals have set a quit date, with almost 1,500 successfully quitting smoking. Importantly, 61% of those successful quitters came from Buckinghamshire’s most deprived communities. This shows how targeted, equitable design can drive meaningful change.
Building on this success, our Be Well Walsall service, commissioned by Walsall Council, demonstrates the scalability of this model in a different context. Offering free, evidence-based coaching to help residents quit smoking, manage their weight and access NHS Health Checks, Be Well Walsall applies the same behavioural framework and person-centred approach. Since its launch in November 2024, nearly 1,000 participants have joined, with 62% achieving the four-week smoke-free milestone. This is consistent with outcomes seen elsewhere and confirms the model’s adaptability across diverse communities.
Extending reach through system integration
Beyond community delivery, we’ve expanded our model into hospital settings – recognising that critical health moments present powerful opportunities for behaviour change. Through collaboration with Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, serving 900,000 people across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and South Buckinghamshire, we integrated stop smoking support directly into hospital care pathways.
By engaging patients at the bedside and ensuring seamless transition into community-based follow-up, we achieved 85% patient engagement, with 76% of those who engaged successfully quitting – outcomes that significantly exceed national benchmarks. This integration of hospital and community support illustrates how behavioural interventions can become a core component of system-wide prevention strategies.
A system-wide opportunity
For commissioners, the evidence is clear: investment in evidence-based behavioural support delivers measurable quit outcomes, reduces long-term health inequalities and alleviates demand on local NHS services.
By combining behaviour-driven coaching, tailored NRT provision and the credibility of lived experience, we empower people to achieve a sustainable, smoke-free future while helping the NHS meet its 2030 ambitions. Across the country, our services demonstrate what’s possible when we bring together evidence-based practice with local insight – improving health outcomes and strengthening communities across the UK.
