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Most of the participants (from survey and

interviews) were very positive in their assessment of the programme.

The programme should be rolled out all over the country as I don’t think I would have done so well without the support of XXX, XXX and the group (CSS)

It should keep running. It will help plenty of women to stop and be healthier. The programme has helped me so much. I have cut down a huge amount and I will stop in the next few weeks. (CSS)

Very happy there is finally a support group for smokers (CSS)

A small number made suggestions about the timing of different elements of the course. All of

We Can Quit: Findings from the Action Research Study 63 One woman suggested

Move the input on healthy eating routines etc before the set to quit date. In our group a lot of the girls had replaced cigarettes with sweet stuff, chocolate and the like, and were piling on the weight. They can be supported by learning how to deal with the cravings, eating carrots or doing yoga and the like. It was good to have the healthy eating session but you need them early on as well. (Individual Interview, quit at end of the programme) Later in the interview she suggested

it would be good to have the tape {CD} as a DVD, that way you could see how the food looks and you might be more inclined to make the recipes (Individual Interview, quit at end of programme) The suggestion for more preparation for managing stress was offered in both the interviews and the survey.

Mix it up for the first 6 weeks as it is very stressful. Week 6 was very enjoyable. (CSS)

Exercise and relaxation techniques early on would be good as well. These take a while to learn. I learned my coping skills from another course. When I wanted a cigarette I just used these. (Individual Interview, quit at end of programme)

I found the course very helpful however the time of day caused a few people problems. XXX was great, very encouraging and made the group fun! The healthy eating advice at start. Stress ball at start. Day 1 of course to be quit date, NRT from day 1. (CSS)

Improvements to the how the NRT is accessed was raised by one of the women.

NRT letter given on day 1 because you build yourself up the day you start as it is the day you give up. (CSS)

During the interviews, one of the women felt the NRT should be made available to all women (GMS and non-GMS) in the same way (i.e. via letter to pharmacist). She had cut down to stop smoking, set her quit date but encountered problems getting an appointment with her GP to get the NRT leading up

to her quit date. The other women in the group had accessed the NRT from the pharmacy and had quit. Prior to this happening she was unhappy with the quality of the facilitation, so when she encountered the problem accessing the NRT she dropped out. Have it so everyone gets the NRT in the same way or have the letter for the GP on the first day so women have the NRT when they are ready to quit. (Individual interview, cut down to quit but dropped out before week 4)

Problems with the facilitation of the group were identified in one of the groups. In this group, the interviewee described the two facilitators as inexperienced and lacking in confidence in their delivery of the programme. The fact that one of the facilitators was a current smoker was viewed to impact on the quality, as she was perceived by the group to be both a facilitator and a participant. One was a current smoker which wasn’t ideal. Definitely future programmes should be delivered by an ex smoker or non-smoker, but preferably an ex smoker as they will know what you are experiencing. (Individual interview, cut down to quit but dropped out before week 4)

This interviewee dropped out from the We Can Quit before week 4 but said she had heard from others from the group (who had gone on to stop smoking) that new facilitators were appointed after she left and the course had improved. It is not unexpected that one of the recommendations for improvement emerging from this interview was improved recruitment procedures.

The facilitators should be well vetted at the beginning, and maybe have the chance to have a test review to make sure they know the programme well and are able to meet the needs of the women. (Individual interview, cut down to quit but dropped out before week 4)

In both the CSS responses and during the

interviews, a number of the women suggested that the programme be expanded in some way.

Would love if the programme went on a bit longer (CSS)

Expanding the length of time by phasing out the last meetings to every second week was suggested by one of the interviewees. This would allow women a longer period of contact, and continued opportunities to meet.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course but definitely it would be good to have a follow-up meeting after the course. (Individual interview, quit at end of programme but relapsed)

It would be good to meet with the women to see how they are getting on, and to get support if you start again. Maybe set up a facebook group. (Individual interview, quit at end of programme) Offer the programme again, evening group would be good. Offer over 6 months starting with weekly until women quit, then offer every 2nd week for support over 6 months. That would help women get over the 3 month period. (Individual interview, quit but relapsed

Overall, most of the participants were happy with how the programme with the facilitation and delivery of the course.

Everything was great and the staff were lovely too. I wouldn’t change anything about the group (CSS) Everything was covered. Great help always (CSS)

Summary Box 8: Recommendations for improvement

Most women were very positive in their feedback of the programme. A small number made recommendations for improvement. These included:

n providing some advice on healthy eating and stress management;

n improving GMS patients’ access to the NRT; n greater promotion of the WCQ programme;

and