Record drop in maternal smoking at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust | News

Earlier this week, NHS England announced that smoking rates among expectant mothers have reached an all-time low, a milestone achieved through the dedicated efforts of NHS teams nationwide. The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, which operates Pinderfields, Pontefract, and Dewsbury hospitals, is proud to share that it has also made significant progress in reducing maternal smoking rates.

Shelly Gascoigne, Specialist Midwife for Smokefree Pregnancy at the Trust, highlighted the importance of this achievement: “Maternal smoking is a leading cause of poor birth outcomes, including stillbirth, miscarriage, and a contributing factor to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Stopping smoking is one of the most important steps women can take during pregnancy to ensure the health and development of their baby. Our in-house Smokefree Pregnancy Service is committed to supporting women to be smoke-free during pregnancy, making this crucial change a reality.”

Reflecting on the Trust's progress, Shelly noted, “While the national average saw a 1.4% decrease, we’ve achieved a significant reduction in smoking at the time of delivery - from 12.7% last year to 9.7% this year. This 3% decrease marks the largest single-year improvement our Trust has ever seen in maternal smoking.”

Georgia Brearley, Tobacco Dependence Advisor at the Trust, commented: “I’m incredibly proud of our service for achieving a 3% decrease. Working with women and witnessing them believe in themselves to the point of achieving their smokefree goals gives us immense satisfaction - it’s always something to celebrate.”

The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust offers a dedicated Maternity Stop Smoking Service to support women and birthing people receiving maternity care. The service can be reached at 01924 317280 or via email at midyorks.myhtmaternitytda@nhs.net. 

For further information and advice, please visit the Trust’s website at www.midyorks.nhs.uk/smoke-free-pregnancy.