Chief Midwifery Officer for England, Kate Brintworth, has commended Greater Manchester’s pioneering ‘Smokefree Pregnancy Programme’ during a high-profile visit to the region.

Kate, accompanied by top officials from NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) praised the programme for its transformative impact on maternal and infant health, helping inspire a new national initiative aimed at reducing smoking during pregnancy.

Delivered between NHS Greater Manchester, local authorities, NHS foundation trusts and technology partner, Accenture – Greater Manchester’s Smokefree Pregnancy Programme has successfully reduced smoking at time of delivery by more than 40% and led to more than 6,000 additional babies being born smokefree, since launching in 2018.

The programme offers all pregnant women and birthing people, and their partners, free and personalised stop-smoking support through a specialist maternity stop-smoking service. This includes one-to-one advice and guidance, free nicotine replacement therapy, regular carbon monoxide screening, and an incentive scheme to stay smokefree.

Kate, joined by National Clinical Director for Maternity Professor Donald Peebles and Deputy Chief Public Health Nurse for England, Professor Jamie Waterall, met for a roundtable discussion at Tonge Family Hub, Starkie Road in Bolton, with specialist midwives, maternity tobacco dependency advisors and senior leaders from Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and NHS Greater Manchester. They also met with service users who had successfully quit smoking while pregnant to listen to their experiences and discussed the upcoming roll-out of a national incentive scheme to support pregnant smokers to quit.

Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for England said:

Smoking rates in pregnancy are at an all-time low thanks to initiatives and support from NHS teams like the Smokefree Pregnancy Programme in Greater Manchester. This year also saw the biggest annual fall in smoking in pregnancy since records began.

“But there is still more to do to protect families. The rollout of a similar scheme nationally will ensure we can continue to build on this work so that all mothers and babies, no matter where they live in England, are protected from the dangerous health impacts of smoking and passive smoking during pregnancy.

Professor Jamie Waterall, Deputy Chief Public Health Nurse for England said:

Smoking during pregnancy can lead to preventable death and ill health, but we know how challenging it can be to quit once addicted to nicotine.

“Greater Manchester’s approach to supporting women to quit smoking is clearly having a positive impact and making a huge difference to people’s lives.

“I look forward to seeing a national incentive scheme rolled out across England, protecting more families from the harms of smoking and giving children a healthier start to life.

Jane Pilkington, Director of Population Health for NHS Greater Manchester added:

We are extremely proud of the continued success of our trailblazing Smokefree Pregnancy Programme and everyone involved in it, for substantially decreasing smoking at time of delivery – and the fact it’s now helping shape a national programme is just incredible.

“We know first-hand, how important it is for the health of mothers and their babies to quit smoking during pregnancy – so to be able to help not just people in Greater Manchester but across the whole of England to quit at during such an important time in their lives, is fantastic.

“We will continue to strive for a future where every pregnancy in Greater Manchester is smokefree and for babies to grow up in smokefree families and communities.

Smoking in pregnancy and breathing in second-hand smoke (also known as passive smoking) carries serious health risks. Carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen getting to the placenta and baby which can lead to women going into labour early as well as increasing the chance of miscarriage, stillbirth, and sudden infant death. Babies whose parents smoke are more likely to be admitted to hospital for bronchitis and pneumonia during their first year.

For free, personalised support to stop smoking, Greater Manchester residents can visit www.makesmokinghistory.co.uk or download the Smoke Free app for six months’ free access to all premium features (T&Cs apply). If you are pregnant or expecting a baby, please speak to your midwife or GP.