The NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) sets out that: “By 2023/24, all people admitted to hospital who smoke will be offered NHS-funded tobacco treatment services” . Smoking tobacco is one of the leading causes of preventable and avoidable hospital admission and death. It is estimated that 1 in 4 patients that are admitted to hospital are smokers.
Element 1 of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle version 3 (SBLCBv3; 2023) focuses on reducing smoking in pregnancy by implementing tobacco dependence treatment services by a trained tobacco dependence treatment adviser (TDA) within an in-house tobacco dependence treatment service, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan and NICE guidance. Women / pregnant people who smoke should receive an opt-out referral for in-house support to develop a personalised care plan and support throughout pregnancy.
In addition, the Whittington Health maternity strategy, in line with the NHS LTP is to implement an in-house Tobacco Dependency Service for all patients admitted to hospital, to ensure that tobacco dependency treatment is integrated into routine care and to ensure that all clinicians are trained in how to contribute to the treatment pathway effectively.
The post holder will support the implementation of the Maternity Tobacco Dependency Service and work alongside the acute Tobacco Dependency Service.
Post Holder
The post holder will work within the maternity department at Whittington Health, supporting the Smoke-free pregnancy midwife and Tobacco Dependency project manager in implementing the in-house maternity tobacco dependence treatment services. The Maternity Tobacco Dependency Advisor will deliver evidence-based inventions, utilising behavioural changes techniques and pharmacotherapy support to provide tailored tobacco dependency treatment.
The post holder will be responsible for creating personalised quit plans and assisting pregnant service users to access the support they need for their quit attempt throughout pregnancy. They will also collect data in accordance with the metrics required by the ICS and NHSE monitoring. They will support the training and development of staff to embed tobacco dependence treatment into care pathways across the trust.
The Maternity Tobacco Dependency Advisor will play a key role within a wide multidisciplinary team, to raise awareness of the harm caused by tobacco usage and the effects on long term physical and mental health, particularly for people with serious mental illness and long-term conditions. The Maternity Tobacco Dependency Advisor will help develop links with other local & regional Maternity Tobacco Dependency services in order enhance cross organisational working.
Leadership and Staff Management Responsibility
- To demonstrate a willingness to positively engage in change management.
- To act as a role model to the MDT, service users, carers, and staff.
- To participate in the induction and training of others in the Tobacco Dependency Service.
Financial Responsibility
To support the Tobacco Dependency Project Manager in the effective use of resources at all times.
Service Development and Improvement
- To comply with the Trust’s requirement in attending all relevant mandatory training.
- To actively participate in quality and safety improvement initiatives.
- To participate in data collection to support the development and improvement of the service.
Communications
- To act at all times in safeguarding the integrity, confidentiality and availability of sensitive information relating to both service users and staff.
- To demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills.
- To communicate effectively, using a variety of methods, with members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team, service users, carers and other agencies involved in the service users’ care.
- To maintain appropriate therapeutic boundaries with service users.
Post Holder
The post holder will work within the maternity department at Whittington Health, supporting the Smoke-free pregnancy midwife and Tobacco Dependency project manager in implementing the in-house maternity tobacco dependence treatment services. The Maternity Tobacco Dependency Advisor will deliver evidence-based inventions, utilising behavioural changes techniques and pharmacotherapy support to provide tailored tobacco dependency treatment.
The post holder will be responsible for creating personalised quit plans and assisting pregnant service users to access the support they need for their quit attempt throughout pregnancy. They will also collect data in accordance with the metrics required by the ICS and NHSE monitoring. They will support the training and development of staff to embed tobacco dependence treatment into care pathways across the trust.
The Maternity Tobacco Dependency Advisor will play a key role within a wide multidisciplinary team, to raise awareness of the harm caused by tobacco usage and the effects on long term physical and mental health, particularly for people with serious mental illness and long-term conditions. The Maternity Tobacco Dependency Advisor will help develop links with other local & regional Maternity Tobacco Dependency services in order enhance cross organisational working.
Key Relationships
The Maternity Tobacco Dependency Advisor will work under direct supervision of the Tobacco Dependency Project Manager.
- Public Health Midwife – Smoking in Pregnancy Midwife
- Women’s Health Clinical Governance Manager
- Matron for Maternity Outpatients
- Consultant Midwife for Public Health and Education
- Tobacco Dependency Project Manager
- Associate Medical Director for Patient Safety and Learning from Deaths
- Integrated Consultant Respiratory Physician
- NCL Programme Director for Prevention
- NCL Tobacco Programme manager
- Executive Medical Director & Office Team
- Quality Improvement Team
- Health Psychology Team Lead
- Lead Respiratory Pharmacist, Community Pharmacists, and wider Pharmacy team
- Lead Consultant Surgeon for Treatment of Tobacco Dependence
- Lead Obstetrician for Treatment of Tobacco Dependence
- Midwife Champion(s) for Treatment of Tobacco Dependence
- Behaviour Change Training Team Lead (ADP)
- Tobacco Dependency Service Providers
- Social Prescribers, Clinical Champions, and Care Navigators
- Local Community Service Teams
- Clinical leads and teams across the trust
Duties and Responsibilities
- Delivering 1:1 and Maternity Tobacco Dependency interventions.
- Develop a personalised care plan of tobacco dependence treatment to include behavioural support and NRT to support the woman / pregnant person to remain smokefree, including:
o 1:1 meetings / telephone appointments in keeping with recommended schedule
o Offering nicotine replacement therapy and ensuring continued supply
o Recording quit status and conducting CO testing.
- To support the Tobacco Dependency Service operationally in line with NICE and other local and national guidelines.
- Support the project manager, midwife champion and consultant midwife in integrating tobacco dependency treatment as part of routine care in maternity services at the Whittington,
- Provide counselling regarding the use of Nicotine Replacement Therapy, pharmacotherapy, and behavioural change support.
- Manage incoming referrals to the in-house Maternity Tobacco Dependency Service
- Manage outgoing referral to Local Community Tobacco Dependency Providers after pregnancy.
- Communicate regular project updates to the Tobacco Dependency project manager and this could in include sensitive and complex information.
- Completing carbon monoxide monitoring with maternity clients.
- Ensure that smoking status and treatment plans are inputted correctly into electronic patient record and this information is communicated to all appropriate services.
- To support health promotional events and national campaigns such as: No Smoking Day, World No Tobacco Day and Stoptober.
- Always maintain confidentiality.
- To competently use trust IT systems to update patient records and service outcomes.
- Collaborate with the other members of the Tobacco Dependency Service in order implement and update relevant policies and pathways.
- Support the Tobacco Dependency Project Manager in monitoring and reporting on relevant KPIs.
- Provide expertise and advice to other staff on Tobacco Dependency policies, treatments, and pathways.
Promoting health and preventing ill health
- Support people to improve and maintain their mental, physical, behavioural health and wellbeing.
- Active involvement in the prevention of and protection against disease and ill health.
- Engage in public health, community development and in the reduction of health inequalities.
Provide and monitor care.
- Provide compassionate, safe, and effective assessment and advice to service users within the maternity services.
- Monitor the quit attempts of people within their care, providing follow up and evaluation in partnership with people, families, and carers.
- Contribute to ongoing assessment of Tobacco Dependency recognising when it is necessary to refer to others for reassessment or further advice.
- Communicate effectively with colleagues, providing clear verbal, digital or written information and instructions when sharing information delegating or handing over responsibility for care. To ensure that Tobacco Dependency records are kept up to date and accurate.
- Recognise and report any situations, behaviours or errors that could result in poor care outcomes.
