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Kettering Hospital does U-turn on smoking

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Published Date: 27 August 2008
A hospital has been forced into a U-turn over its no smoking policy after being unable to legally enforce a ban on visitors and patients.
Kettering General Hospital banned smoking anywhere on its grounds last year, meaning staff and patients had to leave the site if they wanted a cigarette.

But following complaints that patients were flouting the rules, the hospital has had to relent and spend £25,000 putting up four smoking shelters.

Staff are still banned from smoking on the site and can be disciplined if they break the rules.

The hospital's chief executive said they understood some visitors crave a cigarette in times of difficulty or stress.

Dr Mark Newbold said: "Smoking has been illegal inside hospital buildings since July 1, 2007, in the same way it is now illegal in pubs and restaurants. However, the law does not extend to the grounds of the hospital, where we are only able to request patients and visitors refrain from smoking voluntarily.

"We do know people who blatantly smoke in front of hospital buildings cause annoyance to other patients and visitors and to our own staff.
"They also set a poor public health example to impressionable children and younger people.

"However, we do appreciate many people find it difficult to refrain from smoking, particularly at times in their life when they may be under great stress and concerned about their own, or a loved one's health. Because of this we have tried to strike a sensible balance to accommodate the differing needs of our patients and visitors."

Dr Newbold said the shelters have been sited away from main entrances, near Rothwell Road, the pathology department, the maternity block and beyond the main entrance.

Carol Darnell, from Wellingborough, is an out-patient at the hospital and said the use of the smoking shelters must be enforced.

She said: "I am against smoking and when I was at the hospital a couple of weeks ago, a workman who was clearing up cigarette butts was saying he shouldn't have to do it. The smoking shelters seem like a good idea providing they are enforced – I think it's money well spent.

"It could help the hospital save money in the long run if it means they don't have to pay people to clean up all the cigarette ends.

"I don't think it was too ambitious of the hospital to try for a complete ban on its grounds but I understand people enjoy smoking."

A recent Freedom of Information request revealed three members of hospital staff have been reprimanded for smoking on the hospital site since it went smoke-free.

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Here are some of the reader's letters we have already received:


At last, someone has shown they care about smokers!

When a person is in hospital for treatment it can be a very stressfull time, the last thing you need when you feel as low as you think you can go, or you are in a lot of pain is some jobsworth telling you to go to the main road if you want to relax, ease your mind, lose your stress by enjoying a smoke!

And yes, most smokers enjoy it! Experts are allways saying we want to give up and we do it because its a drug and we cant get off the dreaded fags. Well I'm sorry, but every smoker I know is a smoker because it feels good, they enjoy it, it relaxes them or helps in times of stress and its legal and most smokers dont want to stop, what they would like is to be treated as human beings and allowed to enjoy something that is still lawfull (for now).

So well done Kettering Hospital, its about time someone considered smokers, non-smokers do not have to hang around the new shelters so no complaints please.

Next in line has to be the pubs, in Germany the courts agreed the ban is damaging the pub trade and overturned it, if German courts can overturn it so can ours, now lets see a brave MP stand up and consider the rights of smokers and take the case to the goverment and the courts to reverse this unfair ban.

R. Paige
Grantham Walk
Corby


Like I said, at the begining, in ET letters..

Smokers are more stressed out than normal - as patients or visitors.
Even more so with the parking fiasco.

Putting shelters AWAY from entrances/exits shows even more the lack of understanding here.

Discarded materials will remain,until there is adequate provision AND acceptance that it aint going away in the short term.

Non-smokers can moan all they like..it's OUTSIDE.

Louis Shaw

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  • Last Updated: 27 August 2008 5:38 PM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Kettering
 
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RayleighJo,

Essex 27/08/2008 21:57:12
Well done Kettering General Hospital for providing smoking shelters. Nevertheless, smoking rooms should be provided INSIDE - for your staff, as well as the patients and visitors. Why? Simply because there is no such thing as harmful secondhand smoke - this is a LIE perpetrated by the likes of ASH and their cohorts! Secondly, it is well documented that tobacco is no more harmful than processed meats, fry-ups and milk. Yes, MILK! So, stop keep trying to de-normalise smoking tobacco and let adults make their own informed choices. Jo
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Nicki396,

Wellingborough 28/08/2008 01:01:18
I agree with RayleighJo.

Even if you do believe the propoganda, what's wrong with an area for smokers only? It doesn't affect non-smokers, it doesn't affect workers.

The smoking ban was introduced on the 'pretence' to safe-guard workers of the so-called effects of passive smoking (that even our very own H&S executive state is non-existant). It supposedly had nothing to do with stopping people from smoking. Even those who believe the reason for the law (ie protection against passive-smoking) should have no reason to complain about smoking shelters in outdoor areas. What harm are they doing them? Or have these people also got a second agenda like this government apparantley has with its social engineering scam?
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cleverzippy,

Kettering 28/08/2008 07:46:36
Smoking should not be permitted at all on site. It's a hospital for goodness sake, and the NHS should be sending out a message that smoking is a health hazard. Perhaps the NHS could make smokers pay for their lung cancer operations? As for second hand smoke not being harmful - try telling that to Roy Castle, oopps, too late.
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Eggnchips,

Kettering 28/08/2008 08:13:56
25K for smoking shelters ? I really can't see how this is justified.
5

Vic Mackey,

Kettering 28/08/2008 16:32:15
What a disgrace that £25,000 has been taken from our health budget to encourage smoking. The cancer crew win again.
6

RayleighJo,

Essex 28/08/2008 22:04:40
Hello. Please don't run away with the idea that ASH are in the least bit concerned with your health. Nay, allegedly they are funded by the Pharmaceuticals (who want to sell you gullible people their nicotine replacement patches and other smoking cessation paraphernalia) and Government who, as previously mentioned in an above post, have their own agenda. Mainly, in my opinion, their own financial gains. The truth hurts, Aaa!! Plus, I never knew 'The Public' could be so STUPID! They are digging a big hole for themselves - and just can't see it! Alcohol next. Where will it all end? Your civil liberties are being slowly eroded. WAKE UP! As for FOREST being funded by Tobacco Companies - this is not true, either. So, Mr. Ray Rodden, put that in your pipe and smoke it!! Jo
7

Belinda-2,

29/08/2008 20:07:31
Is that wrong Jo?

I would not be the least concerned if some of Forest's money came from big tobacco. Quite apart from anything else, smokers pay so much in taxes that ASH itself (to say nothing of the NHS)could be said to be tobacco funded. As for £25K being spent on shelters, I agree that money could be saved by providing well ventilated smoking rooms within the hospital itself. However compared with the £3.7m spent on NRT treatments for people who have FAILED to stop smoking it's a drop in the ocean. Yes Big Pharma has a lot more to gain financially from anti-tobacco than Big Tobacco has to lose.
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cleverzippy,

Kettering 01/09/2008 17:34:15
Seasider, So Roy Castle just happened to be unlucky to get lung cancer from all those years tooting away in smokey clubs? Hmmm. There is also more evidence than not, that passive smoking does more harm than good, even common sense will tell you that. Oh, and someone has already made the 'put that in your pipe and smoke it' gag. Get some new material before you get up on stage again.
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donald.c,

kett 18/09/2008 14:30:33
I agree with the smoke shelters for use of by staff and patients, for the ill smoking is a form of comfort although yes it may of caused there illness in the first place or they may be in for what ever other rasons, why should patients be made to walk (some of them maybe not able to)outside the grounds to have a smoke, what i dont aggree with is the use of them by visitors who are able to either wait intill they are going home or go off the grounds to have a smoke.
The thing is if you dont like smoking then avoid the shelters as long as they are put in proper places that wont effect the people inside the hospital like near doors and windows then what is the problem, yes the shelters cost a bit but that is down to the suppliers who when the smoking bans were introduced thought we can make money out of this and do.
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donald.c,

kett 18/09/2008 15:12:29
Forgot to say every body has cancer in there bodies it just takes some thing to trigger it off this could be any thing not just smoking people who have lived a healthy life style can get cancer its just easy to blame smoking yes it is a addiction and yes it can cause cancer etc.But then again look at the effects of drinking (another killer) will they be banning that from pubs and public places as well, i know this isnt the same as passive smoking but still accounts for more deaths.The end of the day it is down to the individual to decide and they should not be treated as lepers imagine the state of the country if everyone in the country decided to give up smoking the goverment would lose millions in tax a year.
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