Clinical governance for nurses: smoking cessation interventions.
OBJECTIVE
To raise clinical governance issues by drawing on a Health Education Authority-sponsored review of the style, form and effect of a smoking cessation service in north west Lancashire. This service operated for five years before the government's decision to set up smoking cessation services.


METHODS
A postal survey was undertaken of 800 clients.


RESULTS
193 people responded. Of these, 132 (68 per cent) claimed to be helped by the service. Proactive telephone contact, carbon monoxide monitoring, the six-week course, nicotine replacement therapy, and reading materials were well received. Thirty six per cent of the respondents were not smoking at the time of the survey.


CONCLUSIONS
Nursing staff are increasingly expected to provide smoking cessation support. The government is funding this work and monitoring the number of clients helped, rather than the quality of the service. However, in terms of clinical governance, the quality of the service is crucially important.
North West Lancashire Health Authority. jane.roberts@nwlancs-ha.nwest.nhs.uk
J
J
Roberts
K
K
McKeown
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D024802:Nurse's Role; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires