Hospital to step up smoking ban patrols

Many hospitals brought in a rule to ban smokers completely from their sites to protect patients being brought in and out.

But several have been forced to relax the ban, including Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital and Northern General Hospital, after it became too difficult to police.

However, bosses at Chesterfield's Royal Hospital said they were committed to ensuring that smoking was completely stopped in all areas and would continue to forbid the habit anywhere on hospital grounds.

Ged Holland, the security advisor for Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said people were now even ignoring prominent no

smoking signs and lighting up in areas where they were displayed.

He added: "We've noticed a number of smokers at the main entrance, the Scarsdale entrance, the visitors' entrance at the back of the hospital and the courtyard between the visitors' entrance and the wards.

"We need to remind people that it is not acceptable to smoke within the hospital grounds at any time. A member of security will be patrolling the grounds and if you light up then the chances are you will be caught."

Late last year, the Yorkshire Post revealed that the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the city's two largest hospitals, had decided to put up smoking shelters on the site.

It had attempted to enforce site-wide smoking bans, but had found that it was extremely difficult, and hoped that the shelters would concentrate smokers in one or two areas away from the public.