The Smoking in Pregnancy team has expanded to cover the whole of University Hospitals Dorset, providing personalised 1 to 1 behavioural support and free Nicotine Replacement Therapy to pregnant people who smoke, as well as members of their household. This is part of the Treating Tobacco Dependency programme supported by Public Health Dorset to address the aims of the NHS Long Term Plan.

The NHS Long Term Plan commits to supporting people through the funding of new evidence-based NHS prevention at scale programmes that focus on reducing smoking, including for expectant mothers and their partners. Since 2015, we’ve been working through our Smoking in Pregnancy service to help improve the long-term health outcomes for parents and babies by supporting those who are pregnant to stop smoking.

Stopping smoking in pregnancy means people are more likely to have a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby, reduces the risk of complications and stillbirth, and babies are less likely to be born too early and face health problems that often go with being born prematurely. It also helps babies later in life, as children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from asthma and other serious illnesses.

The Smoking in Pregnancy service is now a universal offer for the whole of East Dorset through the team at University Hospitals Dorset. The team offers carbon monoxide testing for all women at the antenatal booking appointment and throughout the pregnancy as appropriate, and if they are identified as smokers or are exposed to tobacco smoke, they’re offered support to quit smoking. Significant others who also smoke in the household can also be referred for help to quit.

Those who are referred for support are offered personalised 1 to 1 behavioural support and free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). The team will be doing home visits as well as hosting clinics to help pregnant smokers quit for good, improving their own health as well as the outcomes for their babies.

Previously, patients at Bournemouth and Poole Hospitals were offered different support, but now all patients across UHD sites will receive the same support from the in-house team, who aim to support pregnant women and their significant others to quit smoking in a supportive and non-judgmental way, and provide a ‘smokefree’ start in life for their baby.

If you think the team can help your work or you’d like to find out more, contact: smokinginpregnancy@uhd.nhs.uk.