It is important that NCSCT activities are founded on the best possible evidence of need for these activities, the nature of those activities, and the effectiveness of these activities.
Academic links
The research activities of the NCSCT were originally carried out by a team of experts at University College London. This programme of work was led by Professor Susan Michie and Professor Robert West along with a team including Dr Andy McEwen, Dr Emma Beard, Dr Leonie Brose (Institute of Psychiatry) and Dr Fabiana Lorencatto (City University).
Below we list NCSCT publications and their main findings.
Advice on service provision
It is important that NCSCT research evaluating our training and assessments programme, and into the delivery of behavioural support, is published in peer-reviewed academic and clinical journals. This ensures that we can be confident that what we do is based upon evidence.
The following is a list of our publications to date:
The fifth, fully revised edition of this briefing gives expert, concise guidance on how to deliver Very Brief Advice on Smoking (VBA+) to pregnant women who smoke and how to carry out routine carbon monoxide (CO) monitoring with all pregnant women.
Smoking in pregnancy is a significant health problem for the mother and the baby. Many women who smoke will quit by themselves before becoming pregnant and others will stop once their pregnancy is confirmed. However, other pregnant women will need considerable support to stop smoking successfully.
Date of last update: November 2025
For people with mental illness who smoke, stopping smoking will have the greatest impact on their health than any other behaviour change.
This briefing is aimed at those who work in a mental health setting and gives expert, concise guidance on how to deliver Very Brief Advice (VBA+) to patients who smoke.
People who have a serious mental illness are at greater risk of a range of medical conditions compared to the general population. The high rates of smoking in this population exacerbate these health inequalities. The greatest impact on the health of people with mental illness who smoke will come from the routine provision of smoking cessation support.
Date of last review: June 2025
Written in partnership with Public Health England (now the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities) and MD Diagnostics, this briefing provides guidance on delivering VBA+ in dental settings.
The briefing covers:
Ambulance Clinicians already routinely ask about smoking status as part of taking a history, but they also have an opportunity to discuss stopping smoking with non-emergency 999 patients.
We've worked with colleagues in the Ambulance Service to produce this guidance for Ambulance Clinicians on delivering Very Brief Advice on Smoking (VBA+).
Date of last review: March 2026
The original VBA model focussed on referral to local Stop Smoking Services. Some areas no longer offer a Stop Smoking Service to all people who smoke and there is now a wider set of options for stop smoking support. The updated VBA+ model reflects the fact that patients interested in stopping smoking should be referred to the best locally available support.
In some areas, this will remain the local Stop Smoking Service. In others this will include trained colleagues in pharmacy, primary care, mental health, maternity and acute care settings.
Importantly, the principles and merits of VBA+ remain the same: promote quit attempts and link people to evidence-based stop smoking support.
As with any clinical skill, it is important to ensure this training is refreshed periodically. All those who have previously completed the NCSCT VBA modules can now retake the online VBA+ courses and receive a new certificate of competence as a refresher.
Date of last review: March 2026
We have several DVDs available to support materials from the NCSCT training programme. Please see below for details on the DVDs we offer.
To order one of the training DVDs please send an email to enquiries@ncsct.co.uk.
Very Brief Advice on Smoking training DVD
Product code: VBADVD
A short training film modelling how to deliver Very Brief Advice on Smoking (VBA) to people who smoke and giving the evidence for this lifesaving intervention.
It trains healthcare professionals in the ease and effectiveness of implementing VBA: Ask, Advise, Act. Taken from the NCSCT online module, this film can be used as a stand-alone resource for local training courses.
30 Seconds Very Brief Advice on Smoking DVD
Product code: 30DVD
This engaging short film has been developed for GPs and other healthcare professionals to help increase the quality and frequency of VBA given to patients who smoke. Designed for use as part of the NCSCT online module, this film can also be used as a stand-alone resource for local training courses.
Very Brief Advice on Secondhand Smoke DVD
Product code: SHSDVD
In this powerful film, people who smoke talk about the impact of working with their families to help create smokefree environments for their children. It can be used as part of the NCSCT online training module or as a stand-alone resource for local training courses.
These resources are designed to complement our online Swap-to-Stop training module.
The Swap-to-Stop briefing summarises the Swap-to-Stop scheme with case studies from organisations who have implemented it. Date of last review: September 2025.
Swap-to-Stop: a memory jogger lays out the main components of Very Brief Advice on Smoking (VBA+) as it relates to the scheme, and includes typical questions from clients and suggested answers. Date of last review: September 2025
Below are links to additional resources to support the delivery of the Swap-to-Stop scheme:
These resources are designed to complement our National Smoke-Free Pregnancy Incentive Scheme (NSPIS) online training module: Click here for the training module
In 2024 the Department of Health and Social Care launched the National Smoke-Free Pregnancy Incentive Scheme (NSPIS). The NSPIS briefing below summarises the NSPIS scheme with case studies from organisations who have implemented stop smoking pregnancy incentive schemes.
NSPIS: a memory jogger lays out the main components of incorporating discussion about the NSPIS into Very Brief Advice on Smoking (VBA) and stop smoking interventions with pregnant women.
Date of last review: March 2026
Mission statement
We will support local stop smoking services to understand the more complex needs of priority groups and adapt, so stop smoking practitioners along with other health and social care professionals, can provide effective and tailored support to individuals trying to stop.
Who we are and why we are doing this
The collaborative of fifteen local authorities within Humber and North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire NHS Integrated Care Boards are joined by the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT).
As a collaborative we will work with commissioners and providers of services to:
We will use this page to update partners on how the Workforce Development Programme is progressing, and reference any publications that have been produced during the programme.
April 2026
We are working with Dr Claire Nolan and colleagues from London Brunel University to adapt, develop and test the effectiveness of an online training module on Very Brief Advice for Pulmonary Rehabilitation (VBA-PR).
This study is funded by the NIHR Dr. Claire Nolan, Advanced Clinical Academic Fellowship (Award ID: NIHR303175)] The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
As part of this project we have produced this short film to inform patients about what Pulmonary Rehabilitation involves.