One in nine pregnant women in Shropshire were smokers when they gave birth last year

Nationally, 8.8 per cent of pregnant women were smoking at time of delivery in 2022 to 2023 – a slight fall from 9.1 per cent the year before – but above the national ambition of 6 per cent or less.

It comes as the Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group forecast the Government's target to reduce rates of maternal smoking to 6 per cent by 2022 will only be met in 2032.

Professor Linda Bauld, co-chair of the Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group, said helping more mums-to-be quit smoking spares dozens of families from losing their baby to stillbirth or miscarriage.

She also went on to say that it would ease pressure on vital NHS services.

At the beginning of this year, healthcare leaders in Shropshire encouraged smokers to quit as a fresh start for the New Year.

Dr Nick White, chief medical officer at NHS, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin said that stopping smoking can improve your health in a way you might not expect, including improvements to breathing problems and lowering the risk of a heart attack.

Dr Clea Harmer, co-chair of the group and chief executive of the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity, said: "We are deeply concerned that the Government has missed their target of 6 per cent or fewer pregnant women smoking by 2022 and isn’t on track to achieve it until the 2030s."

"The measures announced in April are an important step in the right direction, but they follow years of inaction and delay from successive Governments."

A Department of Health and Social Care said it is committed to reducing smoking rates, particularly among pregnant women.

A spokesperson added the department has a new financial incentive scheme, in the form of vouchers, which will be offered to all pregnant women who smoke by the end of 2024.

They said: "Women who receive incentives are more than twice as likely to quit as those who do not and schemes like this help women to engage with stop smoking support and remain smokefree throughout their pregnancy."

They added a smokefree treatment pathway will be introduced for pregnant women by March 2024 where women who smoke will be referred for specialist support.