Initiative has clear impact on North East smoking in pregnancy

An intervention evaluated by Fuse has shown to have a substantial impact on referrals to smoking cessation services and quit rates among pregnant women in North East England.

Researchers from Newcastle and Teesside Universities presented the findings from the evaluation of the babyClear intervention to over 50 participants from public health, midwifery and commissioning at a Fuse Quarterly Research Meeting to discuss smoking in pregnancy.

Martyn Willmore from Fresh, the North East tobacco control agency, described the process of commissioning and implementing the intervention.

Jo Locker from the Tobacco Control Group, Public Health England outlined the national context and policy developments, linking smoking cessation initiatives to the key priority of reducing stillbirth. 

Discussion groups focussed on local experiences of implementing and sustaining the babyClear effect, including the challenges of integrating smoking cessation into commissioning plans.

The meeting held in July entitled ‘Smoking cessation in pregnancy: the North East leads the way with babyClear’ provided a great opportunity to learn about national policy initiatives as well as facilitating local networking.

Fuse associate Dr Ruth Bell, Clinical Senior Lecturer/Honorary Consultant in Public Health at Newcastle University, said: “The babyClear initiative has clearly had an impact on this important public health issue, and the challenge is how to ensure that this effect is sustained locally and extended to other areas.”

The project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research School for Public Health Research (NIHR SPHR) throuh the Public Health Practice Evaluation Scheme (PHPES).

Find out more about the babyClear project and the associated Fuse Quarterly Research meeting.

Last modified: Tue, 31 Jul 2018 09:13:34 BST