Lung cancer patient praises ‘game-changing’ hospital team who helped him quit smoking

A grandfather who smoked for more than 50 years has hailed ‘incredible’ hospital staff who helped him to quit after his lung cancer diagnosis.

Shaun Webb, 61, was having about 80 to 90 cigarettes a week and spent more than £3,000 a year on his tobacco addiction.

He had been smoking since he was eight years old, but then serious health issues led to him meeting Mid Chehsire Hospitals’ CURE team.

Shaun said:

“I’ve smoked since I was a young boy and never in my wildest dreams did I think I could stop.

“The CURE team have been unbelievable from start to finish. Instead of sugar coating it, they gave me the facts and the support I needed.”

Shaun had started smoking when he was still a schoolboy and was soon using cigarettes every day throughout his teenage years.

From his 20s he was a sports enthusiast, mainly getting involved in bodybuilding, martial arts, cycling and barefoot water skiing. At 27 years old was even selected for the Great Britain ju jitsu squad.

But now Shaun wonders what level his sporting endeavours would have reached without his addiction.

The father-of-four said:

“Who knows what I could have been like if I didn’t smoke.

“I was a really big athlete back in the day and I always pushed myself.

“The smoking definitely had an effect, a million per cent. My breathing was terrible and I probably had the lungs of a 90-year-old by the time I was in my 40s.”

Shaun recently experienced a serious health scare when he began feeling very poorly and then started to cough up blood.

He was admitted to Leighton Hospital in Crewe and given treatment including a nebuliser to help him breathe. A scan then revealed an issue with Shaun’s lung.

After follow-up checks, a consultant told the grandfather-of-three that he had lung cancer.

In July 2024, Shaun had an operation to remove the lump. After a week he returned home to begin his recovery from the surgery.

However, some months later Shaun suffered a chest infection and was again admitted to Leighton.

During his time on a ward, Shaun met Jo Harding, a Specialist Nurse from the Trust’s CURE team, who talked to him about the benefits of quitting smoking.

He was inspired to sign up for the programme and received a range of free support including patches and vapes, as well as regular contact with Jo.

Shaun believes he would have found it ‘extremely difficult’ to stop smoking without the support of the team.

He said:

“They really go out of their way for you.

“Jo, from the Cure Team, was amazing. She had answers to questions I didn’t even think of asking. It just really worked.”

Shaun has now stopped smoking for more than seven months and - with the ongoing support of the CURE team - is determined to never start again.

He had been spending more than £50 a week on cigarettes and said the money he could now save and use for things such as holidays was another benefit of quitting.

Shaun has also noticed several health benefits, including being able to taste food properly, improvements to his sense of smell, and more.

He said:

“The big health benefit for me is sleep, because I couldn’t sleep very well before.

“After I stopped smoking, the coughing and the waking up from coughing just about stopped within two months. I noticed a massive difference. It was a game-changer for me.”

Shaun is now continuing to undergo regular checks following the removal of the lump from his lung.

He says he and his family are extremely grateful to all of the NHS staff who have supported him during such a difficult time.

He said:

“I think everyone who has dealt with me has been unbelievable; it’s humbling. Their job really is a calling.

“My youngest daughter gets married in August this year, so I’m very grateful to be here for that.”

The CURE programme launched at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages Leighton Hospital, in November 2020 and is currently supporting around 50 smokers each month.

It offers patients admitted to Leighton Hospital an assessment of their addiction level, tailored nicotine replacement therapy, stop smoking medications, and support from a team of specialist nurses during and after their visit.

Jo Harding, a Specialist Nurse from the CURE programme, said:

“Smoking has a huge impact on a person’s health. It’s still the single largest preventable cause of death in this country and almost every minute of every day someone is admitted to a hospital in England with a smoking-related disease.

“Tobacco addiction is a chronic and relapsing disease and the CURE programme is about hospital teams working together to tackle this. I’m so happy we were able to make such a difference for Shaun. Quitting is the best thing any smoker can do for their health and it’s never too late to stop.”

Shaun shared his story for the first time as part of national #NoSmokingDay, which takes place on Wednesday, 12 March 2025. The awareness day sees organisations across the country unite in encouraging and supporting the nation’s 5.3 million smokers to make a quit attempt.

For more information about the CURE programme, email: 

cure@mcht.nhs.uk 

or call:

01270 826482

For stop smoking advice and support visit: 

www.nhs.uk/smokefree

Pictured - Grandfather-of-three Shaun Webb with granddaughter Olivia.