A “stop before your op” initiative has been introduced by North East Lincolnshire Care Trust Pus. The policy, endorsed by the Department of Health, has been introduced to encourage smokers to quit their habit before they have surgery.

Research has shown that smoking is a major cause of post-operative complications, resulting in delayed recovery. The message to patients is that surgery will be safer and recovery time reduced if they stop smoking at least eight weeks before surgery.  

Patients who smoke and require surgery will be encouraged and offered support to quit when they first go to a health professional, such as a GP, and then again when they see a specialist at a hospital outpatients department. 

If they have not already stopped, they will be encouraged to do so again if their surgical procedure requires them to attend a pre-admission assessment clinic at a hospital. 

Greg Gilbert, North East Lincolnshire smoke-free alliance coordinator, said: “It must be stressed that smokers will not be barred from surgery. It is not a ‘stop’ or ‘no op’ policy. If they do not stop smoking the operation will still go ahead as long as it is clinically safe to do so. 

“Although the ‘stop before your op’ policy was not introduced until 2010 it is in many ways only formalising what has already been happening nationally. For example, many GPs have for years been advising smokers to stop before their operation (and offering them support to do so), but we hope this practice will become more widespread now that we have introduced this initiative.” 

Dr Tony Hill, director of public health, said: “Smokers are more likely to have delayed healing, breathing difficulties and other complications after surgery. Stopping smoking will reduce the risk of these complications, especially if they stop at least eight weeks before their operation.

 “People who had tried and failed many times in the past to quit smoking would be more likely to make a fresh attempt if they were aware of the wide range of treatments now available. For example the stop smoking medicine Champix introduced by North East Lincolnshire is proving very successful at helping smokers to quit.” 

Leaflets about the policy have been distributed to GP practices and hospitals and are shortly due to be also sent to dentists and opticians.