SMOKERS are blatantly flouting a ban on smoking in hospital grounds more than two and a half years after it was introduced.
Patients and visitors flout NHS rules and light up at Infirmary
SMOKERS are blatantly flouting a ban on smoking in hospital grounds more than two and a half years after it was introduced.
Outside Glasgow's biggest hospital, groups of staff and visitors can regularly be seen lighting up directly outside entrances.
In some cases groups stand in huddles beneath or beside huge notices warning of the ban.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) brought in the no smoking policy in March 2007, one year after the government smoking ban in enclosed public spaces became law.
Officials said they have tried various methods to enforce the ban but have not been able to stamp it out completely because it is not legally enforceable.
On visits to the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow this week and as far back as two months ago, the Evening Times witnessed dozens of smokers breaching the policy at various sites around the hospital.
A group of staff were spotted outside the academic department buildings on Alexandra Parade.
More people, who appeared to be either patients or relatives stood at the Accident & Emergency entrance, several others outside the main entrance and staff, patients and visitors on steps leading to the Princess Royal Maternity.
Many others took care to leave the hospital grounds before lighting up.
Most workers breaching the ban appeared to be non-clinical staff, a view backed by officials who believe the message has got through to nursing and medical staff.
As the law is only concerned with enclosed public spaces, none of the smokers is actually committing an offence.
But they are all flouting a health board policy.
Following the decision, taken for public health reasons, health bosses notified staff of the impending ban, removed smoking shelters and prohibited smoking anywhere on NHS sites.
During a trial of smoking wardens, complaints were made every day at NHS sites throughout the Greater Glasgow area, but the problem was too widespread for the wardens to keep up.
Kenneth Fleming, NHSGGC head of health and safety, said: "The ban was brought in on health promotion grounds.
"It was not thought right that patients and visitors had to walk through clouds of smoke to get to a hospital.
"We had the situation where to get to the West of Scotland cancer centre at the Beatson, you had to pass through several smokers at the doors.
"As a health promotion agency it seemed fundamentally wrong to allow smoking anywhere on out sites.
"The medical view is having a cigarette is never a good thing.
"There are so many people in hospital as a result of smoking."
The health board has spent considerable resources on signs and posters publicising the ban and has used audible smoke detectors which, when activated, warned smokers they were in breach of the smoking ban.
For more than a year health officials put an enforcement plan in place where private car park firm APCOA would send smoking wardens round the hospital sites in Glasgow.
A report following the trial, which has now ended, stated that on one site that an average of 111 smokers were approached every day - and a total of 168 on one day.
An evaluation of the scheme concluded that the wardens had an impact when they were on a site, but the problem re-occurred to the same extent the next day.
Mr Fleming added: "The problem is mainly with visitors and patients, as staff have generally accepted the ban and will usually leave the grounds, but obviously not all do.
"We have tried to enforce the ban but our smoking wardens were being abused and couldn't keep up with the amount of complaints.
"If you go to any site at any time you will see someone breaching the policy.
"Staff can't physically restrain a patient who wants to go out for a smoke.
"They are asked to sign a disclaimer and told it is against the rules to smoke on grounds.
"Essentially a patient is signing themselves out when he go for a cigarette and the hospital is not responsible for them while they do."
