Going Smoke Free!

Posted on 27th October, 2006

From 1st November 2006 Devon Partnership NHS Trust went smoke free at all its locations across Devon, in line with the Government deadline that all NHS Trusts must be smoke free by 31st December 2006. Service users, visitors and contractors will not be permitted to smoke in any Trust building or any vehicle on Trust property. In addition, staff, visitors and contractors will not be allowed to smoke in Trust grounds, although provision will be made for some inpatients to smoke in designated areas within hospital grounds.  As Liz Davenport, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development comments: “We are committed to protecting the health of our staff, service users and visitors by ensuring a smoke-free working environment. We will continue to promote the health of our staff, including the health of smokers by providing opportunities and support for anyone who wishes to stop smoking. “Coming into hospital presents many service users with a chance to stop smoking and we are committed to providing practical help, support and advice, informed by agreed treatment protocols, to service users who wish to take advantage of this opportunity.  We are working with our Stop Smoking Services across Devon to provide a comprehensive quit service that will include access to specially trained advisors and nicotine replacement therapy. This will be prescribed in line with the guidelines laid down by the Trust’s Chief Pharmacist.

“While we will be making every effort to encourage and support our service users to stop smoking we do recognise that for some people, specifically those that are inpatients at our acute mental health units, quitting smoking is a very difficult thing to consider and come to terms with.  We will, therefore, be making exceptions on an individual case basis and these people will be able to smoke in designated areas within the grounds “ For further help on giving up smoking contact the NHS National Smoking Helpline on 0800 169 0 169.