Publish date: 23 October 2025
Smoking in pregnancy cut by almost half at Northumbria Healthcare
The number of pregnant women being cared for by Northumbria Healthcare who were smoking at the time of delivery has reduced by 47%.
This means 153 fewer pregnant women across Northumberland and North Tyneside were smoking per year.
Figures show the rates of smoking at the time of delivery has reduced from 8.9% in 2020/2021 down to 4.7% in 2024/25.
The Best Start in Life (BSiL) team launched with Northumbria Healthcare in May 2022 to help women and families achieve a smokefree pregnancy. The team has grown in strength and numbers to offer ongoing and tailored support from the early stage of pregnancy and beyond.
The team offers a full smoking cessation service, including free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), licensed e-cigarettes, and are also part of the National Pregnancy Incentive Scheme. Advisors can support with a variety of issues which affect the family to support a healthier pregnancy and the best start in life for the child.
19-year-old Lillie from North Tyneside is pregnant and has been meeting with Best Start in Life Advisor Emily to quit smoking. She said: “These appointments really helped me realise how nice it was to have someone in my corner.
“The appointments also helped me keep on track with quitting smoking since I was such a heavy user.
“Emily made me feel so grateful for having someone there for me while pregnant and stopping smoking.
“She made my feelings feel validated and the appointments helped me with finding ways of not thinking about smoking like doing hobbies and planning things for my baby.”
Carla Anderson, public health matron, said: “Quitting smoking in pregnancy is the single most important thing you can do to protect your baby during pregnancy.
“We recognise that quitting smoking is extremely difficult. Tobacco dependency is a lifelong, chronic condition which requires individualised support and care to overcome.
“The ethos of the pathway is to ensure that women receive holistic, non-judgemental care which addresses the wider social and health issues which are associated with smoking.
“I am extremely proud of the Best Start in Life team, who provide exceptional, non-judgemental care to their families. The feedback and results they achieve with women are outstanding.”
Northumbria Healthcare saw 3,646 babies born in the last year.
Katy Lissaman, head of midwifery, said: “Here at Northumbria Healthcare, we are proud to see a sustained reduction in the number of women smoking at the time of delivery, which is a significant achievement in improving outcomes for mothers and babies in our maternity care.
“This progress reflects our ongoing commitment to the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle, which places a strong focus on reducing smoking in pregnancy as a key factor in improving perinatal health.
“Supporting women who are tobacco-dependent means providing personalised and holistic care. Our teams have adopted a flexible approach that recognises the complexities of smoking in pregnancy and the need for tailored interventions that build trust and empower women to make changes that are right for them and their families.
“We will continue to build on this work, ensuring every woman receives compassionate and evidence-based smoking cessation support as part of their maternity journey."
The North East has also had the largest fall of any English region in smoking rates, from 29% to 11% between 2005 and 2024.
Smoking during pregnancy is the leading modifiable risk factor for poor birth outcomes, including stillbirth, miscarriage, and pre-term birth. It also triples the risk of sudden infant death.
Smoking during pregnancy restricts oxygen to the unborn baby, exposing them to harmful toxins which can be extremely harmful to the growing baby.
Work is also happening across the NHS in the region for Tobacco Dependency Treatment Services to support patients to overcome their tobacco dependency while in hospital.
For more information: Smokefree pregnancy :: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Media contact
Lillian Musgrove, marketing and communications officer (public health), Northumbria Healthcare
lillian.musgrove@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk