Bassetlaw Hospital is now officially smokefree

Bassetlaw Hospitals, as well at the other two Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospital sites, is now officially smokefree.
Bassetlaw HospitalBassetlaw Hospital
Bassetlaw Hospital

To mark ‘World Health Organisations (WHO) No Tobacco Day’ on Friday, May 31, it is no longer permitted to smoke within any area of Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Bassetlaw Hospital and Montagu Hospital grounds.

From now on, patients and visitors choosing to smoke on site will be challenged by hospital staff and the security team. They will be advised they can no longer smoke on site and offered advice and guidance on how to stop smoking.

Cindy Storer, acting deputy director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals at the Trust, said: “Were asking for support from the public, our patients and staff as we go smokefree.

Bassetlaw HospitalBassetlaw Hospital
Bassetlaw Hospital

“We know that smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable death, disability and illness, and it is therefore appropriate that we keep the hospital site smoke free and ask people not to smoke on site. One in two smokers die prematurely due to their smoking and whilst they are in hospital we have support to help them to break their addiction.”

All smokers who are admitted as patients will be advised that the site is smokefree and as part of their hospital care and treatment they will be offered nicotine replacement therapy and referred to local stop smoking services.

Cindy added: “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 also offer specialist stop smoking support at their bedside , which can make a real difference.’’

For help to quit, call 0800 246 5343 in Bassetlaw or 0330 660 1166 in Doncaster.