Smoking ban in hospitals is 'unrealistic', admit Sussex bosses (From The Argus)
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Smoking ban in hospitals is 'unrealistic', admit Sussex bosses
2:20pm Friday 12th March 2010 in
Health bosses have admitted that a total ban on smoking in hospitals is unenforceable, insensitive and unrealistic.
Managers at a number of Sussex hospitals are considering bringing back designated smoking areas because patients and visitors are ignoring the regulations by lighting up.
There have also been complaints from residents about smokers standing on pavements just outside hospital boundaries.
The widespread ban in all hospital buildings and grounds across the county was introduced more than three years ago.
However hospital trusts in the county are now considering a partial lift of the ban to allow smoking in some parts of their grounds, well away from entrances and clinical areas.
Specially created shelters for smokers could also make a return.
Smoking will still not be allowed in any hospital buildings, in line with the national ban on smoking in public places.
Comments(5)
Tye
says...
6:07pm Fri 12 Mar 10
yorkie44 wrote:surely the issue is because different organisations and Gov. depts have different targets
Contrast this with a previous item about men dying early in deprived areas of Brighton with smoking one of the factors. Will the NHS and councils make up their minds what they want people to do?
the nhs short term aim is to get people healthy so that they don't clutter up the hospitals so hospitals look "efficient", pensions dept probably happy people are smokers as they'll die before they get their pension - anyway why do you want to live a long life if you're average and saved - your house will be taken away and you'll thrown into a **** bin - and there is a point that if the patients/nhs staff want to smoke then allow them in a shed somewhere - why fill pavements / area outside some poor sods home an ashtray ?
jon s
says...
11:53pm Fri 12 Mar 10
Puffer
says...
12:57am Sat 13 Mar 10
Or have they realised that the Law does not prohibit open air smoking and that they do not have the power to enforce such a policy.
The public own the hospital grounds and therefore they are not the private property of the Trust.
Only private owners of property can enforce outside smoking if they wish and if a smoker is asked to leave and refuses then the Law of trespass can be used to evict that person legally.
The Trust cannot forcibly evict a patient or visitor if they choose to smoke in the grounds. A member of staff can be disciplined for breaching the Trust's 'policy.
I repeat there is no way that a Trust can enforce a 'rule' as the 'rule' is not a Law. Rules are just that...rules...that apply to the staff on contract but not patients or visitors.
tug wilson
says...
3:49pm Sat 13 Mar 10
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yorkie44 says...
5:23pm Fri 12 Mar 10