Smoke-Free Pregnancy Practitioners, Sam Arts (left) Afolasade Oyewole (right)
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust has launched the Smoke Free Pregnancy pathway, offering support to expectant mothers who smoke to achieve a smoke-free pregnancy.
The new Maternity Tobacco Dependency Service Team at Peterborough City and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals consists of two Smoke-Free Pregnancy Practitioners, Afolasade Oyewole and Sam Arts, working alongside Treating Tobacco Dependency Specialist Midwife, Debbie Garner. The team deliver the service in the community and work is currently underway to facilitate video consultations to provide more accessibility and give patients more choice on how they want to attend these appointments.
Nicky Griffin, Interim Head of Midwifery at Peterborough City Hospital, said: “We’re really pleased to have launched this service, it means that we’re able to offer a more personalised quit plan with behavioural support, free Nicotine Replacement Therapy, and a friendly advisor to maximise the opportunity to become smoke free and improve the future health of both mother and baby.
The service works closely with the Local Authority Community Stop Smoking Service, Healthy You, and encourages referral of anyone within the family home who smoke as a positive way to support the woman on her smoke-free journey. Rowena Chilton, Interim Head of Midwifery at Hinchingbrooke Hospital works closely with the region to help continue to improve outcomes for mothers and babies.
Nicky added: “This service has been such a help for our expectant mothers, with 21 who have already achieved their goal of being 28 days or more smoke-free, which is a brilliant achievement for them and the team.”
Since launching last November, the service has been in contact with over 150 women with 80 having signed up with that number consistently increasing.
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