NHS experts are urging smokers across the Midlands to call it quits on this No Smoking Day, including pregnant women. 

NHS provides more than 55 stop smoking services across the Midlands in acute care (hospital), mental health and maternity based settings, as well as two community based stop smoking centres.

In the Midlands, pregnant women who smoke are offered help to quit through every NHS maternity service in the region.

Dr Sanjay Agrawal, Prevention Clinical Director, NHS Midlands, said: “Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, and it is never too late to quit smoking. Getting free expert support from your local stop smoking service is proven to be your best chance of quitting successfully.

“The Midlands has one of the highest participation rates for tobacco addiction programmes in the country. Thousands of people have been helped to quit smoking in the region in the past year. NHS offers tobacco dependency programmes in every hospital in the Midlands, and we know that these services are life-saving.

“NHS continually support our communities and local authorities and Integrated Care Boards to establish these stop smoking programmes.  If you smoke, I urge to begin your quitting journey now by speaking to your GP or going online to learn more about services in your area to help you quit.”

Jess, 37, a paramedic lecturer at a local university, realised she needed to quit smoking when she became pregnant with her first child last year. She said: “I started smoking as a teenager in the 1990s, because most of my friends were doing it, and it was useful in social settings to fill time. I smoked into my thirties until I found out last year that I was pregnant.

“I first looked for help online and found the Live Well Team, and I got a text from my GP. I made an immediate decision to quit then, but it took me a few weeks to do it, by gradually reducing my smoking amounts.  I started making mandatory visits to the drop-in stop smoking centre at the Derby Hippodrome, so that once I started seeing the Live Well Team at Audrey House Children’s Centre and my midwife at Royal Derby Hospital, I felt well-supported in my quitting journey and my pregnancy.

“What has been key to helping me quit is the ease of access, and how I can do a lot of it at home online with the Live Well Team and then carry on with my midwife for support. The team has provided me with Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and regular telephone support, which made it a lot easier than having to visit the centres all the time.”

The Midlands was among the first regions in England to introduce a highly effective stop smoking medication last year. Cytisine is an alternative to Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), such as patches, and provides a release of the hormone dopamine, rather than nicotine. Research shows the medication is not only equally or more effective than NRT in helping patients to stop smoking for good, but it is also more cost-effective for the NHS. University Hospital of Derby and Burton was the first trust in England to offer Cytisine and has been offering it to eligible inpatients at Royal Derby Hospital since May 2024.

With regards to participation rates, of the 14,610 patients referred to stop smoking services in the West Midlands, 93.4% (13,645) have joined a programme to help them quit. In the East Midlands, of the 30,810 patients referred to stop smoking services in the same period, 46.4% (14.310) have joined a programme to help them quit (Tobacco Dependence Services Dashboard – Pathways, March 2023-March 2024).

Find your local stop smoking service.