Suffolk and North East Essex maternity service recognised for efforts to stop women smoking during pregnancy

A maternity service has been recognised for its efforts to stop women smoking during pregnancy.

The Suffolk and North East Essex Local Maternity and Neonatal System (LMNS) won the Baby Lifeline UK Maternity Unit Marvels (MUM) 2025 award for Collaboration and Teamworking.

Since the project, which began in November 2022 in collaboration with SmokeFree, was established at West Suffolk, Ipswich and Colchester’s hospitals, there has been a 50 per cent reduction in women smoking during pregnancy.

The maternity service has a team of specially smoke-free trained midwives who help the women and those they live with to make the decision to quit, offering one-to-one support and guidance during pregnancy and for six weeks after the birth of the baby.

Karen Newbury, director of midwifery for the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted that the team and their dedication to support families to stop smoking has been recognised with this award.

“The impact of this service goes beyond stopping smoking, we have seen some amazing people really embrace positive changes to their lifestyle choices which has in turn changed many aspects of their lives for the better.

“Without this service and our brilliant team this would not have been possible and we hope to be able to continue to offer this life changing support for our families in the future.”

The team of nurses, as part of their support, provide their clients with nicotine replacement therapy or vapes, as well as providing a behavioural therapy programme and looking at the root causes of their smoking.

The midwives and support workers are non-judgemental and are there to help people through their journey to quit.

An award ceremony will take place on March 13 at the Palace of Westminster, hosted by Professor the Lord Darzi of Denham, with awards presented by Baby Lifeline’s Patron and star of Call the Midwife, Linda Bassett.