New support is being made available to patients at Musgrove Park Hospital to quit smoking as part of a drive to improve the health of the nation.

NHS Somerset Foundation Trust, which runs Musgrove Park Hospital, has unveiled a new support package on Wednesday to coincide with national No Smoking Day.

The support will be offered to any smokers who are admitted to Musgrove. Patients who sign up to the programme will have weekly meetings with a tobacco reduction practitioner, access to medications and other preventative tools designed to help them to kick the habit.

By working in partnership with Smokefree Life Somerset, Musgrove will be able to continue to support patients to quit smoking for 12 weeks after they are discharged from hospital.

Martin Lever, the trusts’ tobacco reduction programme manager, said: “All of our sites in Somerset are smoke-free, to help us protect the health of everyone that uses or works within our many services – but this can be difficult for smokers when they are admitted to hospital. 

“Smoking is an addiction, and it can get incredibly uncomfortable for someone who smokes when they are on the ward. At the very heart of what we do, is supporting patients as best we can during a difficult time – and we can also use the opportunity to help them to stop smoking or reduce the harm from tobacco, and improve their health outcomes in the future.”

The stop smoking drive is also targeting pregnant smokers and smokers with young children. Kate Beaumont, public health lead midwife for Somerset, is urging families to take up the offer of support. She said: “Around 10% of babies delivered in the county are born by pregnant smokers – bringing with it a wide range of potential complications and health impacts.

"Along with the tobacco reduction team at the two trusts’, we are highlighting that smoking is an addiction, and there is support available to help people with that.”