George Eliot hospital lifts smoking ban

[dutchman]

Patients and visitors will now be able to smoke at George Eliot hospital in Nuneaton after bosses did a U-turn.



Back in September 2006 the Trust decided to remove smoking shelters and bring in a no-smoking policy.

But ever since the rule has been flouted by patients and visitors who end up lighting up near the hospital entrance.

After a survey of the hospital’s members the decision’s been taken to re-instate the shelter and bring in a new policy that will include the local Stop Smoking service.

Trust Chief Executive Kevin McGee explained: “Despite the Trust’s best efforts to stop people from smoking on the site, this was not working. Therefore, the decision was taken to reintroduce smoking shelters in the best interest of those visitors and patients who choose not to smoke.

“We also had to accept that hospitals are places where individuals are often faced with traumatic situations and should be offered facilities to have a cigarette safely if that is what they wish to do.

“This new policy represents a common sense approach for the hospital and gives us a captive audience to promote our stop smoking service and talk about the benefits of quitting.”

All our other hospitals – Warwick Hospital, Rugby St Cross and Coventry University Hospital are designated no-smoking zones.