Staff are Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry are backing the decision by hospital management to make it a completely smokefree campus.
The hospital has marked the “70 days countdown” to 12 March (National No Smoking Day) when the Western Health Trust will become the first “smokefree” Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland.
The Trust’s new smoke free policy will replace the current policy and will mean that smoking will not be permitted anywhere on its grounds or premises. This includes buildings, entrances, pavements and car parks.
No smoking will be allowed on site for patients, service users, staff, members of the public and contracted workers.
This is a step further than the previous policy as there will be no shelter where patients can smoke and staff will not be allowed to smoke in their cars on site.
The smokefree campus initiative is part of an international strategy to make healthcare facilities completely tobacco free, as there is a growing recognition that allowing smoking on health care campuses significantly undermines the health improvement message of these organisations.
The smokefree initiative has already been introduced in hospitals and healthcare facilities in parts of Britain, the Republic of Ireland, United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Spain.
Altnagelvin Hospital porter Martin Magee and his wife Mary quit smoking after visiting the Stop Smoking Drop In Clinic in Carnhill Resource Centre in Derry.
Both are supporting the complete smokefree policy after “staying off the fags” for six months,
Martin said: “I am feeling great and since giving up smoking, I have noticed a great improvement in my health – we definitely see a big difference in our finances as well. The greatest reward is the praise from our children who are ‘over the moon’ that we have finally managed to stop smoking.”
Dr Albert McNeill, co-chairperson of the Western Trust’s Smokefree Board and lead clinician for cardiology, said as a health service employer the Trust recognised the hazards to health that smoking causesd, both for smokers and for those breathing in other people’s smoke.
He added: “The health of our patients and staff is a top priority for the Trust and we wish to provide the best environment for those who come to work in our facilities.
“We realise that becoming a smoke free Trust will take time to achieve – however maintaining a smoke free environment in and around our hospitals is everyone’s business and we are committed to ensuring it becomes the norm to benefit everyone’s health.”
If you want to give up smoking, the Western Trust Stop Smoking Service can give you free advice and support to help you quit – just phone 0800 917 9388.
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