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Care Opinion

Smoking

Posted By RibsSchmibs

"Smoking"

About: Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre

(as a service user),

Smoking and vaping outside the Beatson West of Scotland is atrocious. I can't believe the level of disrespect so could the no smoking in hospital grounds please be reinforced? You can barely leave the building without walking into a cloud of vape or smoke, so in addition to second hand smoke risk, how much airborne infection is in these clouds? And if you want a seat, then you need to be prepared to stink of smoke. Then there's the litter, cigarette butts all around. It's selfish and inappropriate. 

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Responses

Response from Geraldine Lucas, Health Improvement Lead (Tobacco), Quit Your Way, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde nearly 2 years ago
Geraldine Lucas
Health Improvement Lead (Tobacco), Quit Your Way,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Submitted on 20/07/2022 at 10:01
Published on Care Opinion at 10:03

Dear RibsSchmibs,

Thank you for getting in touch with us to share your experience of smoking and vaping outside the Beatson West of Scotland.

In NHS GGC we have a Smokefree Policy which does not allow smoking anywhere in buildings or our grounds. This applies to staff, patients and visitors however, despite clear signage throughout our hospital sites, our Facilities Department carrying out ad hoc patrols and staff requesting patients and visitors to refrain from smoking on the grounds it has unfortunately met with limited success. While a number of people co-operate when asked, regrettably, a number of people do not.

Whilst currently it is illegal to smoke inside NHS buildings, it is not illegal within the grounds. New Scottish Government legislation making it an offence to smoke within a 15 metre distance from hospital buildings is currently going through required procedures at Parliament and will help to address some of the issues that we have in relation to smoking at our hospital entrances.

NHS GGC offer a range of stop smoking services for patients both in hospital and in the community and all in-patients coming onto our sites are able to access free Nicotine Replacement Therapy for the duration of their hospital stay from ward staff.

I hope you will be reassured we share your concerns and will continue to explore actions to manage the very difficult issue of smoking on our hospital sites.

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Update posted by RibsSchmibs (a service user)

Thanks for your speedy response. I understand it is very difficult to monitor. What I should have mentioned is that staff are also doing in within hospital grounds. Not really a good example!

Response from Geraldine Lucas, Health Improvement Lead (Tobacco), Quit Your Way, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde nearly 2 years ago
Geraldine Lucas
Health Improvement Lead (Tobacco), Quit Your Way,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Submitted on 21/07/2022 at 12:43
Published on Care Opinion at 13:04

Our NHS GGC Smokefree Policy applies to all NHS GGC staff as well as visitors and patients and as such it is disappointing to hear staff were smoking within the hospital grounds. We regularly monitor our policy on all hospital sites and will continue to do so as well as actively promoting the support available for those who wish to stop smoking.

Kind Regards

Geraldine

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