Smoking ban set to be imposed at Bassetlaw Hospital

From Friday, May 31, which is the World Health Organisation’s ‘No Tobacco Day’, no-one will be allowed to smoke within any area of the hospital.

Patients and visitors who choose to smoke on site will be challenged by staff and the security team, and given advice on how to stop the habit.

The same rules will apply to all the hospitals overseen by the Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hopsitals NHS Trust.

Cindy Storer, of the trust, said: “We’re asking for support from the public, our patients and staff in order to go completely smoke free.

“We know that smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable death, disability and illness, and it is, therefore, appropriate that we ask people not to smoke on site.

“One in two smokers dies prematurely due to their smoking, and while they are in hospital, we have support to help them break their addiction.

“This is more than just having a smoke-free site. For the first time, we will see a cultural shift in the hospital’s role in proactively supporting patients to quit smoking.

“Research shows that up to 25 per cent of patients in our hospitals smoke, and they actually expect health professionals to raise the issue with them.

“Supporting them with nicotine replacement medication means they are much more likely to quit for good.

“At Bassetlaw, we offer specialist ‘stop smoking’ support at their bedside, which can make a real difference.”