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As you arrive at the QEII, many people do not realise that the view people see is what the actually the rear of the hospital – as designed by the architects back in the 1950s. The original front – now the rear of the hospital – was due to face a main access road that was never built, as permission to cross land not owned by the NHS was rescinded at the last minute. Because of this fact, it is all but impossible to do much with the main entrance – although about a year or so ago it was enhanced to its current state, which is a great improvement on what it used to be like.

Like most hospitals, the main desk is staffed during peak times and not 24-hours a day. We do our best to keep the entrance clean, with our cleaning contractors (on the inside) and estates team (on the outside) working hard to remove debris and cigarette butts – especially those that blow in from the outside on windy days.

As most people know, smoking is now banned within both NHS hospitals and their grounds. The QEII is no exception and despite all the notices and being challenged by our staff, who sometimes are treated very badly for their efforts, people continue to ignore the ban on smoking. We continue to think of ways to tackle the problem – suggestions are always welcome!