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Patients admitted to selected acute and mental health NHS trusts in the North East and Yorkshire, are being offered an innovative digital app to help them quit smoking in a new pilot.

We are working in partnership with Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria and NHS England for North East and Yorkshire and the four Integrated Care Boards across the region to deliver this pilot. We are also working with SmokeFree to provide access to the app in participating trusts and gather feedback on its impact.

Participants in the pilot will receive a free premium license for the SmokeFree app, which provides tailored online support, practical advice, and ongoing encouragement. Unlike many digital health tools, SmokeFree goes beyond self-help, offering 24/7 access to trained advisors who can provide guidance and encouragement.

Through the app, users can share their own quitting stories and tips, creating a supportive community for others on the same journey. The app allows patients to monitor their smoke-free progress in real time, tracking each smoke-free day down to the second, along with the money they have saved, and the health benefits gained.

As part of the pilot, patients are offered free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as patches or a mouth spray, as well as a nicotine vape from the onsite tobacco dependency treatment service.

While vaping isn’t risk-free, it is widely recognised as significantly less harmful than smoking and can help patients with their quit attempt. The cost of smoking to the NHS in England is estimated to be £2.5 billion a year.

Despite a continued decline in smoking prevalence, 11.6% of adults in England still smoke. In the North East and Yorkshire, this is often higher, with some areas exceeding 15%.

The pilot, running until February 2026, is testing whether a digital alternative can help people quit. Patients are offered the app before they leave hospital, giving them access to continuous, tailored support that continues after discharge and helps them stay on track.

Yara Duaik, Project Manager at Health Innovation Yorkshire & Humber, said: “This has been a really collaborative effort, working alongside frontline teams and partners to understand what makes tobacco cessation work in practice. Through our evaluation, we’re seeing the difference this support makes for patients and how it can help reduce smoking-related harm in our communities.”

Dr David Crane, Founder of Smoke Free, shared: “We’re proud to work with the Health Innovation Network and the NHS on this important pilot. Smoke Free provides round-the-clock human support and practical tools, so people don’t have to quit alone.

“Helping patients stop smoking at this crucial moment not only transforms their health – it also supports better recovery and reduces the risk of readmission, benefiting both patients and the NHS.”

Rachel McIlvenna, Smokefree NHS Strategic Manager, Fresh and Balance, said: “We welcome this opportunity to utilise an innovative approach with our tobacco dependency treatment services in the North East and Yorkshire, to support smokers whilst in hospital and post-discharge to prevent relapse back to smoking.

“In order for us to achieve a smoke-free future, free from the death and disease from tobacco, we need to utilise all the evidence-based effective quitting tools at our disposal, such as the Smokefree App.”