Public Health England (PHE) has urged all NHS Trusts to implement a smoking ban on hospital premises.
According to a new PHE survey, 69 per cent of NHS acute Trusts in England have completely banned smoking on their premises. Despite this progress, 31 per cent are yet to impose a total smoking ban.
The survey was a part of the PHE’s Smokefree NHS campaign, which aims to create smokefree environments for promoting smoking cessation and decreasing tobacco-related harms. Under the NHS Five Year Forward View, all Trusts are expected to become completely smokefree by spring 2020.
NHS acute Trusts including mid-Yorkshire, Northumbria and South Tees are known to successfully adopt innovative approaches to help maintain smokefree premises. Some NHS Trusts have put into effect policies on e-cigarette use and permission to vape in designated areas to achieve this.
Professor Steve Powis, National Medical Director, said: "Smokefree NHS premises are an important part of this drive, and the successful schemes we are seeing already provide a blueprint for other Trusts to achieve this over the coming year."
