Free NHS Stop Smoking Service in Gillingham
Free one-to-one NHS support, a personal quit plan and nicotine replacement to help you stop for good.
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About This Service
Medway Pharmacy runs a free NHS stop smoking service in Gillingham for anyone aged 12 and over who wants to quit. You get one-to-one support from a trained stop smoking advisor, a quit plan built around your habits, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) matched to how you smoke, with prescription stop smoking treatment for eligible adults. The NHS says that with expert help like this, you're 3 times more likely to quit for good.
Key Facts
- Cost
- Free NHS support (12+)
- Format
- One-to-one with a trained advisor
- Stop smoking aids
- NRT, plus prescription tablets for eligible adults
- Follow-up
- Weekly or fortnightly, for up to 12 weeks
- Where
- 465 Canterbury Street, Gillingham
You're 3 times more likely to quit with support
That's the NHS's own figure: with expert help, you're 3 times more likely to quit for good. Combining one-to-one support with the right stop smoking aids tackles both sides of smoking, the habit and the nicotine.
If you've tried to quit before and it didn't stick, that's normal. Many people need several attempts before they stop for good, and each one teaches you more about your triggers.
Nicotine replacement therapy, matched to you
NRT comes as patches, gum, lozenges, inhalators, and mouth or nasal sprays. Patches give a steady background dose of nicotine through the day, while gum, lozenges and sprays act quickly when a craving hits.
The NHS says the best approach is usually to combine a slow-acting product like a patch with a fast-acting one like a mouth spray, and to keep using them for at least 12 weeks. Your advisor will help you choose the right strength and combination for how much you smoke, which is hard to work out from a shop shelf.
Stop smoking tablets: varenicline and cytisine
If you're an adult, prescription stop smoking treatment may be an option alongside NRT. Nicotine-free stop smoking tablets include varenicline (once sold as Champix), which is available again in the UK, and cytisine, which is newer to the UK. Both block nicotine's effects in the brain, making smoking less enjoyable and easing cravings.
These medicines are prescription-only and aren't suitable for everyone, so we check your health and any other medicines first. The NHS says combining a nicotine-free tablet with a nicotine product such as patches gives you the best chance of success.
What happens at your appointments
At your first appointment we talk through when, why and how much you smoke, then build a quit plan around your triggers and set a quit date with you. Follow-up appointments, usually weekly or fortnightly for up to 12 weeks, keep you on track: we check how you're coping, adjust your NRT and plan for the situations most likely to trip you up.
Our Gillingham pharmacy is open until 10pm every day, so your check-ins can fit around work and family life.
Other free stop smoking support in Medway
If you'd prefer support by phone or online, Medway Council's stop smoking service also offers free help, and your GP practice can advise too. Whichever route you choose, getting support gives you a far better chance than relying on willpower alone.
What to Expect
- 1A one-to-one consultation with a stop smoking advisor
- 2A personal quit plan and a quit date that suits you
- 3NRT matched to how you smoke, or prescription treatment if you're eligible
- 4Weekly or fortnightly check-ins for up to 12 weeks
Who Is This For?
- NHS service available to all smokers aged 12+
- Prescription medication available for eligible adults
Frequently Asked Questions
You can get nicotine patches through our NHS stop smoking service, and they cost nothing if you qualify for free prescriptions, for example because you're under 16 or aged 60 or over. Otherwise the standard NHS prescription charge applies. The one-to-one advice and support are free for everyone, and your advisor will make sure you get the right strength.
Yes, prescription stop smoking treatment is available to eligible adults through our service after an assessment. Tablets such as varenicline and cytisine are nicotine-free and work by easing cravings and making smoking less enjoyable. They're not suitable for everyone, so we check your health and current medicines first, and we'll talk you through NRT if a tablet isn't right for you.
Cytisine, also called cytisinicline, is a nicotine-free stop smoking tablet that works in a similar way to varenicline. It comes from a plant and blocks nicotine's effects in the brain, which eases cravings and makes smoking less enjoyable. It's new to the UK but has been used for many years in some other countries. It's prescription-only, so ask us whether it could suit you.
A typical supported quit programme runs for up to 12 weeks, with the most contact in the first few weeks after your quit date. Appointments are usually weekly or fortnightly, and we tailor the pace to you rather than following a rigid timetable. The NHS also advises using NRT for at least 12 weeks, or longer if you need it.
Yes, we can help with nicotine dependence more broadly, not just smoking. If you want to cut down on vaping or stop altogether, come and talk to us. We'll look at how much you vape and when, then suggest an approach that suits your situation.
Yes. Most people who quit for good needed more than one attempt, and each attempt shows you more about your triggers. Coming back with that knowledge, plus one-to-one support and the right stop smoking aids, gives you a much better chance than trying on willpower alone.
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Please wait for a confirmation from Medway Pharmacy before coming in.