The Smoking Cessation Service at Merri Health was established in February 2016 and since then has established a good reputation with a strong referral base from the broader community, specialists and GP practices.
The approach of the clinic is professional, yet friendly and non-judgmental. It has helped many people to stop smoking despite having a history of years of trying to quit and numerous failed attempts. The clinic’s success has led to many word-of-mouth referrals and several members of the same family attending the clinic. Clients can self-refer and there is a short waiting period of under two weeks.
At the core of this service is a comprehensive understanding and clinical management of nicotine as a drug of addiction. Intervention and recommendations are made on strong research based evidence and includes current pharmacotherapy, behavioural intervention and relapse prevention.
The clinic has also established links with the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and we are working towards breaking down any perceived barriers that might prevent the indigenous population from readily accessing our smoking cessation service.
This year Merri Health has gained accreditation as a member of the Network of SmokeFree Health Services demonstrating our commitment to ongoing improvement and international best practice. This membership recognises and supports health organisations to champion the vital role of health services in reducing the incidence of smoking in their communities while bench marking their performance against global practice.
The MH Smoking Cessation service is continually striving towards improvements in performance and reducing the incidence of smoking prevalence in our community.
Referrals can be made directly to our Service Access team:
Phone: (03) 9388 9933
Fax: (03) 9495 2599
Email: service.access@merrihealth.org.au
Disclaimer: This article was provided by Merri Health. While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate, North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network does not warrant or represent the accuracy, currency and completeness of any information or material included within.
