Finalists for Advisor of the Year 2010
On Wednesday 7 July Bexley Stop Smoking Service held the prestigious Advisor of the Year Awards ceremony at The Marriott Hotel Bexleyheath. Local MP David Evennett spoke to over 35 health care professionals who have contributed to supporting 1777 local people to stop smoking over the last financial year. All were congratulated on empowering their patients to make the necessary behaviour changes to stop smoking. Fifteen Advisors from GP surgeries across Bexley were recognised for their achievement in supporting their patients to stop smoking and Lynn Arnold from The Albion Surgery Bexleyheath was announced as Bexley’s Advisor of the Year. Lynn has supported a total of 99 patients to make the change from smoker to non-smoker. Some of the Advisors have been part of Bexley’s Stop Smoking Service since the beginning and some had newly qualified but everyone was congratulated on the service they provide to support smokers to quit.
Stopping smoking saves lives and with support from a health professional the chance of successfully quitting is four times as likely. From the very moment you stub out your last cigarette, your body begins an amazing journey of recovery. Smoking is a very powerful addiction and it can be extremely hard to break what is often termed “the habit of a lifetime”. The truth is that if people do manage to stop smoking – no matter what their age - health will improve and they are less likely to die prematurely. It is never too late to reap the benefits of giving up smoking. The risk of developing a host of smoking-related illnesses will immediately start to reduce. Lung function will improve as will capacity for exercise.
The event at The Marriott was an opportunity to thank Advisors for the sterling work they have achieved over the past year in providing help to patients to enable them to rid themselves of smoking and regain years of life-expectancy.