Sharing best practice: East Cheshire Trust
| Author(s)
Lorraine Frith
| | Presenter(s) |
Lorraine Frith Specialist Stop Smoking Midwife, East Cheshire NHS Trust, Cheshire | Abstract Sharing Best Practice: East Cheshire Trust - A journey to making stop smoking advice routine in antenatal care, introducing CO monitoring as a routine screening test, supporting women and families to stop smoking and in the process achieving government targets
I am currently the Specialist Stop Smoking Midwife at Macclesfield Hospital and I have been in post for 8 years. Obviously my job has been to target pregnant smokers and their families to help them to stop smoking and improve health for them and their children. (A smoke free future DOH 2010). As Midwives, we are in a unique position in that we can influence lives and the lives of others for generations. I am responsible for reducing the prevalence of smoking in Pregnancy in the East Cheshire area significantly and have subsequently achieved the targets set by the Department of Health.
As a result I was asked to speak at the North West Heads of Midwifery Conference about achieving the targets and to share Best Practice. This I completed on the 7th of May 2010 The response was amazing and the feed back was empowering. As a result audience members and several Heads of midwifery suggested that they enjoyed the presentation so much that I should apply to speak at the RCM conference. I then presented at the Royal College of Midwives conference 2011. The service has been mentioned as a best practice service in a recent document published by the RCM for the involvement of fathers in the service to support the woman’s quit attempt. So as a result of that it would be nice to get smoking in pregnancy on the agenda at the Stop Smoking Conference where it belongs and share best practice.
The service has reduced the prevalence of smoking in the East Cheshire area from 28.1% in 2000 to 12.2% 2012 that is a reduction in smoking prevalence of 15.9 % in the Last 10 years, as a result it is estimated that this has reduced the Mortality rate by 2%, something that I am very proud of.
It truly has been hard work and the team of midwives have made the service possible through the initial implementation of Co testing as a screening test for all pregnant mothers at the trust. The service has now become part of their general practice and discussing smoking with the mother’s routine. The aim of the service was to empower the staff at East Cheshire by increasing their knowledge and to encourage them to support the clients and to feel confident to refer to the specialist stop smoking service. As a result I became empowered by their achievements. This in turn makes the service very successful.
I would like to share my practice and support other stop smoking advisors who are struggling to meet their targets and help their clients to quit smoking. We were involved in the SNAP trial and currently involved in a pilot with the NCSCT. It would be wonderful if you would allow me to share my practice with the conference and I will eagerly await your response.
| Presenter biography My name is Lorraine Frith and I completed my midwifery degree and became a midwife in 1998 and have worked in all areas of midwifery. I have practiced in Leicester where I completed my training, Crewe and Macclesfield. I have also practiced in Australia. I started my Stop Smoking role 8 years ago and have been responsible for reducing the prevalence of smoking in the East cheshire Area.
| Source of funding: East Cheshire Trust
| | |
|
