As an NHS organisation, we have a duty to protect and care for the health and wellbeing of our patients, staff and visitors.
That’s why all of Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s premises and sites are now completely smoke free.
This means that as well as inside our hospitals, patients, visitors and staff are not permitted to smoke in any of our grounds, our gardens, in all Trust buildings and vehicles. The use of e-cigarettes or ‘vaping’ is also currently not permitted. Work to remove our smoking shelters is now underway.
Why have we done this?
Many of the people who access our services are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke, such as pregnant women, babies, children and those with pre-existing medical conditions.
Our mission is to promote healthy behaviours and one way of doing this is to minimise the risk of harm to others from passive smoking.
This new policy is in line with The Health Act (2006) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on smoking in secondary care services (2013).
What does this mean for me?
We recognise that smoking is a personal choice and we do not discriminate against those who choose to do so. However we ask that you help us keep our buildings and grounds smoke free to protect others.
If anyone is seen smoking on our premises, our staff have the right to respectfully ask them to stop and extinguish their cigarette.
If you are having a planned admission, the best thing you can do is contact your local stop-smoking service – find out more here. You can also ask your GP to prescribe Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) during your hospital stay. This will mean that you won’t crave cigarettes during your time with us. If you wish, you can also start using the product before you are admitted.
If you have an unplanned or emergency admission, you can ask any nurse or doctor about a prescription for NRT to help with your nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Read these 10 self-help tips to stop smoking.
Smoking is the main cause of preventable illness and premature death in England. It causes a wide range of diseases and medical conditions, including cancers, respiratory diseases, coronary heart disease, impotence and infertility.
Thank you for not smoking in and around our hospitals!