BOTH porter John McGuinness and auxiliary nurse June Burrows agree working in Glasgow's dedicated cancer hospital gave them the push they needed to stop smoking.

Seeing patients at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre suffering from lung cancer – which has smoking as its cause in 90% of cases – was part of the reason they both decided to use NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Smokefree Hospital Services.

It offers help for both NHS staff and hospital patients to quit.

In the last year 417 in- patients stopped smoking with help from the service, while 117 staff benefited.

John, 62, from Linthouse, said: "I think being a Beatson porter and seeing the patients was part of it."

June, 47, of Drumchapel, said: "I am a respiratory auxiliary nurse on ward 6C. Seeing the patients made a difference for me."

Both John and June were helped to stop smoking by Samina Ghani.

The specialist smoking cessation adviser works between the Western Infirmary, the Beatson Centre and Gartnavel Hospital, all in the West End.

There are five people who do her job across the health board area as part of a scheme which started in 2005 at the Southern General.

Samina who is originally from Manchester but who now lives in the West End with husband Irfan, 39, an IT worker, said: "I support staff and patients to stop smoking.

"We get referrals from wards - it can be medical staff who refer them or nursing staff, pharmacists, physiotherapists, anybody. The staff self-refer to us.

"We give them information on the benefits of stopping and the risks of continuing.

"We offer behavioural support and make recommendations for products like patches or gum.

"We are seeing patients on the ward at the bedside.

"Staff are supported for four weeks, if they require more extensive support we try and offer that, we tailor make it for individuals.

"When patients come out of hospital they are referred to community services.

"I really enjoy it, You are meeting people from different backgrounds.

"It's definitely rewarding, when you bump into patients who are maybe in for a clinic and they tell you they are still off the cigarettes, and that it's the best thing they ever did.

"You do get staff in a group and they get one who decides to quit, and it can have a knock-on effect for the rest of him. They think 'if they can quit, so can I'

"I think the biggest challenge for patients is when they get home. Obviously in hospital they are bed bound and they can't smoke.

"When they get home the temptations there that's why it's important they are linked into local services."

Even cafe staff at Gartnavel, have used the service, run by Roisin Lynch, health improvement senior.

She said: "There's a lot of evidence that having workplace support is very effective, and it's part of the no smoking policy that we make available in smoking cessation therapy.

"When people come into hospital they are more likely to think about making a quit attempt. Amazingly 60% of patients who use the service have never made a quit attempt before.

"You maybe begin to think about your own mortality in hospital and you are more open to people giving you information."

John used Samina's help in 2009. He had been smoking up to 30 roll-ups a day since he was 13 and felt cigarettes were reducing his ability to walk the 18 miles a day typically covered by somebody in his job.

John says the smokefree services "made it easy" to give up.

He said: "I got in touch with Samina and she arranged for patches, and she checked my carbon dioxide levels.

"I used to go and see her when I wanted. If it had been an appointment, outside of work, you could easily say 'oh I won't go.'

"There was a certain pride about it as well.

"I remember saying to myself, 'I'll still have tobacco in the house, and if I feel like one. I'm going to have one. But that never happened and I gave it away.

"You do see a marked benefit."

June also wanted to give up smoking as she feared it could cut her life short. She asked Samina for help in January.

She said: "My three kids are older but I don't have any grandchildren. I was concerned I might never see them. I had given up before but failed miserably.

"It was hard to start with, but much easier than the times before, because of Samina's support.

June has so far saved £600 in cash she would otherwise have spent on cigarettes. She hopes to put this towards a dream holiday to Australia to celebrate husband Iain's 50th birthday next year.

She said: "I think it's an absolutely fabulous service."

Porter Paul Fox, 57, from the city centre also gave up his roll-up habit with Samina's help three years ago.

He said: "I used a lot of the lozenges, which were a great help. I've noticed a great improvement, even in things like climbing stairs, when I used to be breathless.

"My breathing is clearer and the smell from my clothes has gone."

AN NHS service has helped hundreds of hospital patients and staff stop smoking over the past seven years. As part of our campaign to help people quit the habit SARAH SWAIN met one of the dedicated leaders of the scheme, as well as some NHS employees who stubbed out the habit.

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OUR Clear the Air campaign, run in conjunction with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lanarkshire, aims to highlight the risks of Scotland's biggest killer and help you quit smoking for good.

A total of 36 Scots smokers die every day from horrific illnesses such as lung cancer, mouth cancer, strokes and heart disease.

Then there's the harm caused to others by second-hand smoke, not the mention the spiralling cost.

Find us on Facebook by searching for Clear The Air and Twitter bit.ly/etclearair

For help to stop smoking visit www.eveningtimes.co.uk/cleartheair or call Smokeline on 0800 848484. We're also looking for your stories. Get in touch with reporter Sarah Swain on 0141 302 6532 or e-mail sarah.swain@eveningtimes.co.uk