Hospitals’ plea to patients and visitors not to smoke at entrances

Rochdale Infirmary

New Year’s resolutions are never easy, but doctors at hospitals run by The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust are asking patients and visitors to give up smoking, especially outside its hospital entrances and on hospital grounds.

The entrances to the Rochdale Infirmary, the Royal Oldham Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital and Fairfield General Hospital are regularly surrounded by patients and visitors smoking in all weather conditions. Often patients are seen smoking outside in their dressing gowns, and even with drip stands.

The issue of smoking at hospital is currently being tackled by The Pennine Acute Trust, which runs the hospitals, based on health and safety concerns.

Dr Sally Bradley, deputy medical director at The Pennine Acute Trust, said:
“Our aim is to promote a pleasant and healthy environment for everyone in the Trust across all our hospitals. This includes patients, visitors and staff. As well as helping make our hospitals a cleaner and safer environment, the benefits of quitting smoking includes reducing the risk of developing illness or death caused by cancer, heart or lung disease. It also protects the health of those around you by not exposing them to second-hand smoke.

“Smoking at hospital entrances is not only unsightly and unpleasant for people who have to walk through a cloud of smoke to gain access to our hospitals, but it is causing increased litter and is a serious fire risk and health hazard. We are asking smokers to be considerate and move well away from the hospital buildings to smoke, ideally off the hospital grounds. Both patients and visitors are asked not to smoke at our entrances.”

The Trust is considering a range of measures to discourage smoking at entrances. One proposal is to create and enforce new non-smoking exclusion areas outside its hospital entrances. These areas will be clearly marked by diagonal red surface lines (hatched markings). The Trust will also re-enforce its no-smoking policy among staff.

One of the many ideas and options considered by the Trust included building designated smoking shelters. However, this idea has been discounted. The Trust, however, is to launch a new poster and marketing campaign in the next few months to educate people about its no-smoking policy and the health dangers of smoking not only to them, but to other patients, visitors and staff.

Last week the NHS announced plans to give out free nicotine patches in a bid to get smokers to kick the habit. Smokers will be given coupons as part of “Quit Kits” from 1 January to swap for a week trial of patches as millions try to give up in the new year.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the move could save lives – and the health service billions of pounds. He said: “January is the most popular time of year to try to quit. Smoking costs the NHS billions every year and can cost a 20-a-day smoker around £2,000 a year. Giving smokers help to quit not only improves their health, but saves them and the NHS money.”

Find your nearest NHS Stop Smoking Service or order your free NHS Smokefree Quit Kit online at www.smokefree.nhs.uk or call 0800 022 4332.