Mothers-to-be in Corby are 21 TIMES more likely to smoke than those living in Luton, NHS figures reveal (so how many expectant mothers still light up in YOUR area?)
- A quarter (25.1%) of all mothers-to-be smoked until they gave birth in Corby
- In comparison, the rate was just 1.2% among expectant mothers in Luton
- Charities today slammed the figures, compiled in a report by NHS Digital
Pregnant women in certain parts of England are up to 21 times more likely to smoke than those living in other areas, shocking figures show.
A quarter (25.1 per cent) of all mothers-to-be smoked until they gave birth in the Northamptonshire town of Corby between April and June this year.
In comparison, the rate was just 1.2 per cent among expectant mothers in Luton, according to the NHS report.
Charities today slammed the figures, saying urgent action is needed to cut rates of smoking in pregnancy.
Nationally, the NHS target is to make sure no more than six per cent of mothers-to-be smoke cigarettes during their pregnancy. Only 33 out of 207 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England met the national standard of six per cent or fewer
The numbers are recorded by local NHS boards and relate to 145,000 pregnant women during the three-month period.
Nearly 15,000 of the expectant mothers – 10.4 per cent – were known to smoke tobacco by the time they gave birth.
Nationally, the NHS target is to make sure no more than six per cent of mothers-to-be smoke cigarettes during their pregnancy.
Blackpool, which has repeatedly been named as the worst for smoking rates in pregnancy, recorded the second highest rate with 24.8 per cent.
It was followed by Hull (23.1 per cent), the Isle of Wight (20.7 per cent) and Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield (20.3 per cent).
At the other end of the scale, West London and Hammersmith and Fulham had the joint second fewest amount of mothers-to-be who smoked (1.4 per cent).
Smoking while pregnant is a leading cause of stillbirth and miscarriage, Action on Smoking and Health says, but there are still thousands of women who continue to do it
Both boroughs were followed by Central London (1.9 per cent), Wandsworth (2 per cent), and Brent (2.1 per cent), the NHS league table revealed.
Only 33 out of 207 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England met the national standard of six per cent or fewer.
Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: ‘These statistics – and in particular the variation in smoking rates across England – show how far we still have to go to support pregnant women to quit this deadly addiction.
‘The number of pregnant women smoking when they give birth is still far higher than the national target of six per cent or less, so we need urgent action to make this ambition a reality.
‘Pregnant women who smoke should always be offered stop smoking support when they go for antenatal appointments, to protect their health and that of their unborn child.
‘Cuts to public health funding means in some areas, people don’t have access to this support.
‘This is why the government must invest more in public health and ensure everyone gets the help they need to quit.’
Smoking in pregnancy is dangerous and can increase the risk of premature births, miscarriages and having a stillborn child.
It is not illegal for a pregnant woman to harm her unborn child by smoking and drinking, but some think it should be.
Others say banning pregnant women from smoking would be a gross intervention by the ‘nanny state’ and a violation of the mother’s free will as well as unenforceable.
Smoking, which is known to cause heart disease and lung cancer, is responsible for around 120,000 deaths across the UK each year.
TRUST | MATERNITIES | KNOWN SMOKERS | % KNOWN SMOKERS |
---|---|---|---|
NHS Corby CCG | 215 | 54 | 25.1 |
NHS Blackpool CCG | 451 | 112 | 24.8 |
NHS Hull CCG | 832 | 192 | 23.1 |
NHS Isle of Wight CCG | 271 | 56 | 20.7 |
NHS Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield CCG | 642 | 129 | 20.3 |
NHS Rotherham CCG | 600 | 121 | 20.2 |
NHS Mansfield and Ashfield CCG | 507 | 98 | 19.4 |
NHS Thanet CCG | 333 | 63 | 19.3 |
NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney CCG | 580 | 110 | 19.0 |
NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG | 739 | 140 | 18.9 |
NHS Sunderland CCG | 591 | 110 | 18.6 |
NHS Wakefield CCG | 933 | 173 | 18.6 |
NHS North East Lincolnshire CCG | 391 | 72 | 18.4 |
NHS Swale CCG | 318 | 58 | 18.3 |
NHS Darlington CCG | 244 | 44 | 18.3 |
NHS Nottingham City CCG | 1,000 | 178 | 18.0 |
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG | 258 | 46 | 17.8 |
NHS Wyre Forest CCG | 247 | 42 | 17.8 |
NHS Vale Royal CCG | 243 | 42 | 17.6 |
NHS Lincolnshire West CCG | 541 | 94 | 17.6 |
NHS Medway CCG | 826 | 144 | 17.5 |
NHS West Norfolk CCG | 337 | 58 | 17.2 |
NHS Lincolnshire East CCG | 514 | 87 | 17.0 |
NHS South Kent Coast CCG | 468 | 77 | 16.9 |
NHS Knowsley CCG | 427 | 72 | 16.9 |
NHS St Helens CCG | 465 | 78 | 16.8 |
NHS Stoke on Trent CCG | 873 | 146 | 16.7 |
NHS Doncaster CCG | 777 | 126 | 16.6 |
NHS North Cumbria CCG | 682 | 113 | 16.6 |
NHS Wolverhampton CCG | 786 | 130 | 16.5 |
NHS Walsall CCG | 828 | 131 | 16.0 |
NHS Halton CCG | 359 | 57 | 15.9 |
NHS North Lincolnshire CCG | 385 | 60 | 15.6 |
NHS East Riding of Yorkshire CCG | 567 | 88 | 15.5 |
NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale CCG | 687 | 106 | 15.4 |
NHS Telford and Wrekin CCG | 495 | 76 | 15.4 |
NHS Bradford Districts CCG | 1,218 | 186 | 15.3 |
NHS South Tees CCG | 743 | 112 | 15.1 |
NHS East Lancashire CCG | 1,062 | 155 | 15.0 |
NHS Warwickshire North CCG | 505 | 75 | 15.0 |
NHS South Cheshire CCG | 449 | 66 | 14.9 |
NHS Oldham CCG | 776 | 115 | 14.8 |
NHS Nene CCG | 1,701 | 251 | 14.8 |
NHS Kernow CCG | 1,158 | 169 | 14.7 |
NHS Barnsley CCG | 690 | 101 | 14.6 |
NHS Wigan Borough CCG | 823 | 120 | 14.6 |
NHS Ashford CCG | 309 | 44 | 14.6 |
NHS Cannock Chase CCG | 384 | 55 | 14.4 |
NHS South Lincolnshire CCG | 351 | 47 | 14.1 |
NHS Tameside and Glossop CCG | 687 | 96 | 14.0 |
NHS Nottingham West CCG | 198 | 27 | 13.9 |
NHS North Durham CCG | 500 | 69 | 13.9 |
NHS Calderdale CCG | 487 | 67 | 13.9 |
NHS Canterbury and Coastal CCG | 428 | 58 | 13.8 |
NHS Fylde and Wyre CCG | 291 | 40 | 13.8 |
NHS Hastings and Rother CCG | 456 | 62 | 13.6 |
NHS Newark and Sherwood CCG | 259 | 35 | 13.5 |
NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG | 1,250 | 168 | 13.5 |
NHS Northumberland CCG | 537 | 72 | 13.4 |
NHS Southampton CCG | 723 | 95 | 13.3 |
NHS South Tyneside CCG | 346 | 45 | 13.2 |
NHS Derby and Derbyshire CCG | 2,411 | 317 | 13.2 |
NHS South West Lincolnshire CCG | 264 | 34 | 13.1 |
NHS Bassetlaw CCG | 383 | 49 | 13.0 |
NHS Bolton CCG | 860 | 111 | 12.9 |
NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG | 520 | 66 | 12.9 |
NHS West Lancashire CCG | 218 | 28 | 12.8 |
NHS Leeds CCG | 2,248 | 283 | 12.8 |
NHS Greater Huddersfield CCG | 515 | 65 | 12.7 |
NHS Wirral CCG | 779 | 92 | 12.4 |
NHS Devon CCG | 2,526 | 303 | 12.4 |
NHS South Sefton CCG | 405 | 50 | 12.3 |
NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG | 1,788 | 208 | 12.2 |
NHS Norwich CCG | 510 | 61 | 12.0 |
NHS Portsmouth CCG | 581 | 68 | 12.0 |
NHS Stafford and Surrounds CCG | 338 | 40 | 11.9 |
NHS Salford CCG | 867 | 102 | 11.8 |
NHS Greater Preston CCG | 564 | 66 | 11.7 |
NHS Swindon CCG | 661 | 77 | 11.6 |
NHS North Staffordshire CCG | 450 | 52 | 11.6 |
NHS Dudley CCG | 817 | 93 | 11.6 |
NHS North East Essex CCG | 786 | 91 | 11.6 |
NHS Nottingham North and East CCG | 374 | 43 | 11.6 |
NHS Herefordshire CCG | 427 | 47 | 11.5 |
NHS Gloucestershire CCG | 1,496 | 172 | 11.5 |
NHS Somerset CCG | 1,253 | 143 | 11.4 |
NHS South Eastern Hampshire CCG | 471 | 53 | 11.3 |
NHS Warrington CCG | 494 | 55 | 11.3 |
NHS Liverpool CCG | 1,379 | 156 | 11.3 |
NHS South East Staffordshire and Seisdon Peninsula CCG | 477 | 48 | 11.3 |
NHS West Cheshire CCG | 560 | 63 | 11.3 |
NHS North Kirklees CCG | 565 | 63 | 11.3 |
NHS Sheffield CCG | 1,374 | 154 | 11.2 |
NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG | 2,344 | 249 | 11.1 |
NHS West Kent CCG | 1,195 | 133 | 11.1 |
NHS East Surrey CCG | 371 | 41 | 11.1 |
NHS Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley CCG | 796 | 88 | 11.1 |
NHS South Norfolk CCG | 509 | 56 | 11.0 |
NHS Redditch and Bromsgrove CCG | 399 | 41 | 11.0 |
NHS Shropshire CCG | 586 | 64 | 11.0 |
NHS Wiltshire CCG | 1,049 | 113 | 10.8 |
NHS West Essex CCG | 839 | 86 | 10.8 |
NHS Fareham and Gosport CCG | 427 | 44 | 10.7 |
NHS Dorset CCG | 1,570 | 164 | 10.5 |
NHS Coventry and Rugby CCG | 1,382 | 139 | 10.4 |
NHS Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG | 357 | 37 | 10.4 |
NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford CCG | 387 | 39 | 10.2 |
NHS West Leicestershire CCG | 601 | 61 | 10.1 |
NHS Leicester City CCG | 1,191 | 120 | 10.1 |
NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG | 3,965 | 314 | 10.0 |
NHS Chorley and South Ribble CCG | 453 | 45 | 9.9 |
NHS Thurrock CCG | 499 | 49 | 9.8 |
NHS South Worcestershire CCG | 719 | 67 | 9.6 |
NHS Vale of York CCG | 690 | 66 | 9.6 |
NHS Milton Keynes CCG | 1,785 | 142 | 9.6 |
NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire CCG | 2,550 | 243 | 9.5 |
NHS Coastal West Sussex CCG | 1,039 | 98 | 9.5 |
NHS Manchester CCG | 1,846 | 174 | 9.4 |
NHS West Hampshire CCG | 1,274 | 118 | 9.3 |
NHS East Staffordshire CCG | 336 | 31 | 9.2 |
NHS North Norfolk CCG | 307 | 28 | 9.2 |
NHS Basildon and Brentwood CCG | 627 | 57 | 9.1 |
NHS North Tyneside CCG | 518 | 47 | 9.1 |
NHS Bradford City CCG | 368 | 33 | 9.0 |
NHS Morecambe Bay CCG | 703 | 60 | 9.0 |
NHS Bedfordshire CCG | 1,334 | 113 | 8.8 |
NHS East and North Hertfordshire CCG | 1,425 | 124 | 8.8 |
NHS West Suffolk CCG | 538 | 44 | 8.7 |
NHS Stockport CCG | 774 | 66 | 8.5 |
NHS Crawley CCG | 379 | 32 | 8.5 |
NHS Barking and Dagenham CCG | 811 | 67 | 8.3 |
NHS North East Hampshire and Farnham CCG | 563 | 46 | 8.2 |
NHS Bexley CCG | 700 | 56 | 8.2 |
NHS Harrogate and Rural District CCG | 298 | 24 | 8.1 |
NHS Southend CCG | 511 | 40 | 8.1 |
NHS North Hampshire CCG | 562 | 45 | 8.0 |
NHS Bath and North East Somerset CCG | 386 | 30 | 7.8 |
NHS Haringey CCG | 798 | 61 | 7.7 |
NHS Buckinghamshire CCG | 1,267 | 97 | 7.7 |
NHS Bury CCG | 512 | 39 | 7.6 |
NHS South Warwickshire CCG | 617 | 45 | 7.4 |
NHS East Leicestershire and Rutland CCG | 593 | 44 | 7.4 |
NHS Surrey Downs CCG | 631 | 45 | 7.4 |
NHS Greenwich CCG | 987 | 68 | 7.1 |
NHS High Weald Lewes Havens CCG | 302 | 21 | 7.1 |
NHS Brighton and Hove CCG | 577 | 40 | 7.0 |
NHS Castle Point and Rochford CCG | 401 | 27 | 6.9 |
NHS Islington CCG | 318 | 22 | 6.9 |
NHS Ipswich and East Suffolk CCG | 897 | 59 | 6.8 |
NHS Oxfordshire CCG | 1,554 | 105 | 6.8 |
NHS Berkshire West CCG | 1,391 | 94 | 6.8 |
NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG | 253 | 17 | 6.7 |
NHS Mid Essex CCG | 968 | 58 | 6.3 |
NHS Croydon CCG | 1,180 | 72 | 6.2 |
NHS Surrey Heath CCG | 212 | 13 | 6.1 |
NHS Havering CCG | 804 | 49 | 6.1 |
NHS North West Surrey CCG | 995 | 60 | 6.1 |
NHS Hillingdon CCG | 857 | 52 | 6.1 |
NHS Southport and Formby CCG | 221 | 13 | 5.9 |
NHS East Berkshire CCG | 1,222 | 72 | 5.9 |
NHS Enfield CCG | 996 | 57 | 5.9 |
NHS Herts Valleys CCG | 1,468 | 83 | 5.7 |
NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG | 426 | 24 | 5.6 |
NHS Sutton CCG | 613 | 34 | 5.6 |
NHS Rushcliffe CCG | 272 | 15 | 5.6 |
NHS Waltham Forest CCG | 1,020 | 54 | 5.3 |
NHS Bromley CCG | 891 | 44 | 5.2 |
NHS Horsham and Mid Sussex CCG | 510 | 25 | 5.1 |
NHS Hounslow CCG | 932 | 46 | 5.1 |
NHS Trafford CCG | 630 | 32 | 5.1 |
NHS Newham CCG | 1,388 | 69 | 5.0 |
NHS Lewisham CCG | 1,054 | 42 | 4.2 |
NHS Merton CCG | 598 | 25 | 4.2 |
NHS Tower Hamlets CCG | 1,037 | 42 | 4.1 |
NHS Kingston CCG | 530 | 21 | 4.0 |
NHS Barnet CCG | 1,085 | 41 | 3.9 |
NHS Southwark CCG | 982 | 35 | 3.8 |
NHS Harrow CCG | 831 | 30 | 3.6 |
NHS City and Hackney CCG | 939 | 32 | 3.5 |
NHS Lambeth CCG | 1,121 | 37 | 3.5 |
NHS Redbridge CCG | 1,025 | 33 | 3.2 |
NHS Guildford and Waverley CCG | 465 | 15 | 3.2 |
NHS Richmond CCG | 513 | 15 | 3.0 |
NHS Camden CCG | 254 | 7 | 2.8 |
NHS Ealing CCG | 1,239 | 34 | 2.8 |
NHS Brent CCG | 1,115 | 23 | 2.1 |
NHS Wandsworth CCG | 1,153 | 23 | 2.0 |
NHS Central London (Westminster) CCG | 325 | 6 | 1.9 |
NHS Hammersmith and Fulham CCG | 516 | 7 | 1.4 |
NHS West London CCG | 517 | 7 | 1.4 |
NHS Luton CCG | 807 | 10 | 1.2 |