New law needed to enforce hospital smoking ban

Health bosses seek support for exclusion zones

Bosses at the Royal Oldham Hospital are being forced to lobby parliament in a bid to curb on-site smokers.

The Oldham Chronicle revealed last month that the Pennine Acute Trust planned to create non-smoking exclusion zones outside hospital entrances following complaints from visitors and staff.

Board members approved plans to create areas at hospital entrances in Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester, clearly marked by red hatched markings.

Options to spend £86,000 building designated smoking shelters were scrapped.

Despite the trust having a smoke-free policy covering buildings, grounds and car parks, a change in the law is needed to enforce the no-smoking zones.

The trust is not prepared to have staff enforce the ban which may put them at risk of injury or abuse.

Chief executive John Saxby said it was incredibly difficult to enforce no smoking on hospital grounds.

He said: “We certainly do not wish to place our staff at risk of potential abuse or injury when tackling the very emotive issue of people smoking at hospital entrances or in hospital grounds.

“We wish to go one step further and lobby parliament for a change in the law to extend the current no-smoking legislation to include hospital grounds.

“The success of the national smoking ban within public buildings clearly demonstrates that firm and decisive action, backed by legislation, can lead to a significant change in behaviour, habits and culture.”

The trust is now urging local MPs and councillors to support a campaign for a change in the law to make all hospitals and grounds fully no-smoking areas.

A letter has now been sent to all local MPs, primary care trusts, local authorities and health overview and scrutiny committees.

Figures show that over a third (35 per cent) of patients who attend the trust’s four main hospitals have some form of smoking-related illness.

Dr Sally Bradley, deputy medical director at the Pennine Acute Trust, said: “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.”

A publicity and staff awareness campaign, to be launched on national no-smoking day on March 9, aims to educate people about the health dangers of smoking not only to them, but to other patients, visitors and staff.

Find your nearest NHS Stop Smoking Service or go online at www.smokefree.nhs.uk or call 0800- 022 4332.