Housing evidence / case study · working draft
Newcastle: smoke-free maternity and neonatal entrances
Tobacco Dependency Advisors and public-address announcements were used to tackle smoking near maternity and neonatal entrances.
01 / THE APPROACH
What was tried
A Newcastle hospital improvement project focused on smoking around maternity and neonatal entrances, where patients, families and staff could be exposed to smoke.
The team tested public-address announcements alongside direct engagement by Tobacco Dependency Advisors. This combined reminders about the space with personal conversations, rather than relying on signs alone.
02 / THE FINDINGS
What was learned
The published abstract reports 38% fewer smoking episodes over seven weeks. Both adviser presence and regular announcements were independently associated with reductions, and little aggression was reported.
The authors report that the work subsequently expanded across the hospital.
03 / TRANSFER TO WALES
What Wales could learn
The team tested a visible adviser presence and regular public-address messages at a specific problem entrance, counting smoking episodes over time.
This gives hospital teams a concrete example of combining personal engagement with environmental reminders. The public abstract does not provide a full staffing cost or show what happened beyond the hospital boundary.
Sources & review
Roycroft et al., Harmful air where we should feel most safe: addressing health inequalities using a QI approach to tackle smoking on a hospital site. Published online 6 October 2026. DOI 10.1136/archdischild-2026-331102. Public primary abstract checked 23 October 2026. Summary is limited to claims confirmed there; the dossier's additional figures and calendar dates are not repeated.
