NHS staff have received awards for their efforts to help north Kent people quit smoking.

NHS West Kent, the primary care trust for north Kent, recognised staff who had made an outstanding contribution to its Stop Smoking Service in the last financial year at a ceremony in Maidstone.

Award winners included Gateway Medical Practice in Hunt Road, Northfleet, which was named Best Performing Practice after helping 104 people successfully quit smoking.

Dr Shilleena Ramanathan, Gateway’s managing partner, said: “We have a brilliant nursing team who are very hard working and have made a huge difference to our rates of success.”

Awards also went to Linda Hall, who is a ward manager at Darent Valley Hospital, and Debbie Chisnell, who is a midwife at The Brent Children’s Centre in Dartford.