University Hospitals of North Midlands Plans Smoke-Free Grounds by 2026

Hospital leadership has announced its intention to prohibit smoking across its premises by 2026, acknowledging a “serious problem” particularly at the entrances to its facilities. University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) stated its objective is to eradicate smoking among staff, patients, and visitors throughout its locations, concurrently providing assistance to those impacted. The national government is exploring a prohibition on smoking outside all hospitals and educational institutions in England, though the implementation date remains undetermined. Simon Constable, the trust’s chief executive, informed a board meeting that “a multitude of things” would need to be established for this initiative to succeed. The trust operates both the Royal Stoke and the County Hospital, situated in Stafford. Mr Constable remarked, “This is an opening gambit as to how we approach this as an organisation, how we make it possible without unintended consequences, with support for both staff and patients and their visitors.” He indicated that discussions with employees and the general public were commencing immediately. He further stated, “Simply saying we’re going to be smoke-free isn’t going to do it.” He elaborated, “The strands will be different for patients and staff with regards to tobacco dependency and what offers we make to them, as well as empowering staff to challenge both each other and patients.” In his submission to the trust board, Mr Constable observed that individuals persist in smoking at building entrances “despite clear signage” and suggested that “at the very least” personnel and patients ought to utilize designated smoking shelters until the comprehensive site prohibitions are implemented. This report was compiled by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, an entity that covers local government bodies and other public service organizations. For further updates, BBC Stoke & Staffordshire can be followed on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Details concerning our policy on external linking are available.