NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney's Stop Smoking Service has been ranked the second best in the region.Figures released in the last few days show that the service was placed 39 out of 163 national services - and second best in the east of England region.

NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney's Stop Smoking Service has been ranked the second best in the region.

Figures released in the last few days show that the service was placed 39 out of 163 national services - and second best in the east of England region.

The figures, published by the Department of Health, show that 1,545 people per 100,000 in the population pledged to quit through the free NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Stop Smoking Team between April 2009 and September 2009.

After four weeks 821 per 100,000 of the population had still stopped, totally 53pc.

Vicki Snelgrove, Tobacco Control Commissioning Advisor for NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney, added: “We are really pleased with these figures and are keen to encourage others to sign up. Any smoker who is thinking about quitting should contact us.

“The service is free, but smokers can also get nicotine replacement therapy and access to stop smoking medication at the cost of a prescription - just over �7. This is far cheaper than buying your own.

“The Stop Smoking Team is a dedicated service offering flexible support and one-to-one help. Tuesday evening sessions are offered at the team's office in Police Station Road in Lowestoft and at Gorleston Library as well as through telephone support.”

NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney's Stop Smoking Service offers free support for smokers.

Dr Alistair Lipp, director of public health for NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney, said: “I am very pleased by these results and I know Vicki and her team have worked very hard to encourage uptake for the service.

“Our efforts have been commended on a regional level by NHS East of England as the strategic health authority and we have been invited to do a presentation to the rest of the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in the east of England on how we have managed to turn this service around so we can share our good practice.”

Smokers are four times more likely to quit if they do it through an NHS service.

The team is also travelling around the Yarmouth and Waveney area offering face to face information sessions in supermarkets and public places over the next few days.

If you are thinking about stopping smoking text Quit to 65000 or call 01493 452067.