UPDATE: NHS Western Isles has just confirmed it is ahead of the game and has a countdown in place for a complete ban by November. Thank you to official and unofficial correspondents.
In a long overdue move, all these filthy and disgusting smokers are to be banned from hanging around hospital entrances and in hospital grounds within two years, the Scottish Government has finally said.
“In a move to promote smoke-free environments and healthier lifestyles, patients, visitors and staff will no longer be able to smoke on NHS sites. Under the plans, people who smoke will be offered advice and support to help them not to smoke during hospital visits as well as access to specialist smoking cessation services for those wanting to quit.”
All NHS Boards must implement and enforce smoke-free policies across their grounds by March 2015.
Thank you NHS Western Isles for this statement from last year
Counting down to a smoke-free environment…Nov 30, 2013
Western Isles Health Board launched a one year countdown to a smoke-free environment in November 2012, which means that all premises and grounds owned by NHS Western Isles will be smoke-free by November 30, 2013.
In the meantime, smoking will be permitted only in designated smoking areas.
Smoking is the biggest cause of premature death in the UK and is the biggest cause of ill health in Scotland. It is now estimated to claim over 13,000 lives each year and costs the NHSin Scotland an estimated £200 million per annum. For these reasons NHS Western Isles aims to discharge its public health duties responsibly and will always act to discourage and consequently prevent smoking.
Remember: Smoke Free Hebrides provides free confidential, advice, help and support to anyone in the Western Isles who would like to quit smoking. We offer one-one, group, telephone, text or email at times suited to the needs of each individual. Why not contact us?
Lewis and Harris 01851 701623
Uists 01870 602588
Barra 01871 810895
……Have never seen any attempt to stop them yet. Won’t happer.
Interesting. I wonder how they will enforce it?
You are a bit late in posting this, we have had a count down to making WIIB smoke free since November 2012, The new policy will be implemented this November for all Staff, Visitors and Patients with the exception of APU patients as this area is classed as home from home to these patients. I think you will also find that it is a very small minority of patients and visitors who disregard the No Smoking at the main door other than that, Staff and patients do use the only Designated Smoking on level one in the hospital. As an employee and user of the hospital I am more concerned about the closure of wards and beds than I am about people who choose to ruin their body smoking.
Phew !!! and it may mean that “the Public ” can actually speak to an employee as its same old same old when one phones *they are not available* and one can actually see them outside smoking …. on observing one employee spent 20 mins smoking and chatting …so they should start with Employees IMHO + staff sould clock out if going for a * social event * like smoking
A ‘Social Event’ Like their breaks? Allocated breaks are not Social Events and if that break means using it to smoke then so be it. If you can see them outside then why waste money on calling and go wait for that said person to finish their break which they are entitled to.
Many hospitals I have been to have “No smoking grounds”. I have yet to visit a hospital where this rule is enforced in anyway.
“The smokies” should be charged a sum of money for the damage they cause to all the innocent’s who have the misfortune of breathing in their “after breath”. Time the smokies started to address their polluting habit and put others before themselves.
Smoking in this country is perfectly legal, so what right do these Stalinist health fascists have to try and stop us doing something legal?
For example, if I wish to smoke in my car, who do people like Alex Neil think they are to try and tell me I cannot? Which Stalinist school did he go to? Is he going to close down the subsidized bars in the Scottish parliament? Or is it considered fine to drink on duty, subsidized by the taxpayer?
As for smoking in hospital grounds, as long as it is not inside the hospital, or at the doorways,
what is wrong with that? Again, it is perfectly legal. I am getting a bit fed up with this totalitarian attitude of the Idiot Wing of the SNP.
I will be voting for independence, but, after we are independent, and we vote for a new Scottish government, I won’t be voting for the SNP afterwards as I am sick to death of their obsession with anti-smoking; their obsession with the EUSSR; their obsession with NATO; their obsession with costly (to us) and inefficient wind farms and the associated, and discredited so-called global warming; their obsession with homosexual marriage (despite the majority being against is); and their obsession with wasting time on trivia when there are far more important matters for them to deal with.
Sorry I must have missed global warming being discredited, or slept through it. Was evolution proved to be a sham as well during my slumber? Dammit, another ‘proven fact’ we can’t rely on. Scared to get out of bed now in case I fall up to the ceiling.
I would suggest, and I’m far from being a nationalist; that anyone who is aware of the damage caused to everyone’s health by smoking, aware of the health warnings which have been in the public domain for decades ,and aware of the cost to the Health Service of the ‘fall-out’ from this disgusting habit, yet continues to suck on a carcinogenic, foul-smelling, stick of weed; by dint proves themselves to be too stupid to be taken seriously.
Quite frankly, I would take the vote away from all smokers.
Now if that isn’t at least a little bit Stalinist or Fascist, then I don’t know what is.
The truly important questions of the day need to be addressed……would you rather kiss a smoker or a homosexual?
Undermilkwood, this global warming you are so fond of believing in is helluva expensive with the cost of electricity to heat my house. I wish it did exist as I could do with it being about 10 degrees warmer, at the best of times. As for sea levels rising, that would be good too, if it was true. I could have a boat tied up at my front door to make it easy to go fishing. The main danger with all this global warming is that, despite their claims to the contrary, the Polar Bear population has increased dramatically, and I’m getting worried that I could end up with them living in my barn.
As for your nasty comments about smokers, I presume that you would be prepared for a massive increase in taxation if you managed to ban all smokers as, after all, they are more than paying for the NHS. You should be happy that they are keepiong your tax down.
As to your truly important question, yes, I’d rather kiss a smoker than a homosexual.
Would you rather kiss a homosexual or a bigot? Do you know why your son/daughter has moved away? Why they don’t want to take their partner home? I do hope all you bigots have an emergancy tag on your person stating that you do not wish to receive cpr or any medical intervention from a Homosexual or Smoker. It makes me chuckle so much how the small minded minority have nothing positive to say. Who do you see when you’re ill? A gay GP, who wipes your bum or brow when you are poorly? A lesbian nurse or HCA. What about your dentist, physiotherapist, car mechanic, postman? Your children and grandchildren must be so proud of you for being a bigot. The next time you need any medical help just remember to ask them what sexuality they are before accepting treatment, we wouldn’t want to catch the bigot disease and may need to double up on PPE.
Very Happy (?), the bigotted ones are, in fact, the homosexuals, as they are the ones that malign everyone and anyone that disagrees with the activities of their tiny number (i.e. about 2% of the population). They really do object to anyone else expressing their views or opinions on homosexuality; and they are the only ones, in their opinion, that are entitled to express their opinions. They are also so arrogant that they think the laws should be changed to suit their tiny numbers, regardless of teh wishes of the majority.
As for receiving services from anyone, if they are being paid from the public purse (by the greater majority) then they have no legal right to refuse these services to anyone, incluidng anyone who disagrees with their peculiar lifestyle. If they not wish to do the work they are paid for, then they should be given their P45s.
In the meantime, they can get on with their partiuclar lifestyle, but please stop trying to force the rest of us to either agree to it or condone it against our will.
PLEASE KEEP COMMENTS ON-TOPIC
Touched a nerve with you there dear Guga. Who is in your closet hiding??
Well my little cherub to set you on the right path, it is policy for all NHS employees to have the right to refuse treatment if a service user is Violent or Aggressive towards any member of staff. Violent and Aggressive does not just include physical activity, it also includes verbal abuse, be it because of Race, Gender and or sexuality.
If you would like to be proven wrong on your statments please feel free to check out Equality and Diversity on the Government web site. Where it clearly states, you will be refused treatment, removed from the premises and reported to the police. Unlike yourself I would still clean your bum when you were unable to do so, even though you are a small minded straight bigot who would be stinking of smoke and rotten Guga. I do my job because I actually do care about people and their needs. One day our paths may cross and you will see that equality works both ways. Take care, peace and love to you
Very Happy (?) You haven’t touched any nerve, and there is nobody hiding in my closets. Your comment about violent and/or aggressive is entirely different as you well know, and all you are trying to do is mislead (are you getting in practice to be a politician?).
If you really care about people, you would not be such a small minded bigot that wished to impose his views on everyone else. Moreover, being such a bigot, you are quite happy to dismiss the whole concept of democracy to allow you to try and impose your views on others.
I may be stinking of smoke and rotten guga, but the question that arises is what do you stink of?
The old ‘what about all the taxes we pay’ argument falls down at every hurdle. I would gladly pay more taxes, though I wouldn’t need to as the NHS bill to keep you all alive so you can smoke a little longer would be reduced by an amount that would more than offset your taxes.
Smoke free or nuke free…..let me think.
If you think global warming is about making Ness (or anywhere else) warmer, then I don’t think you quite understand the full concept of its effects.
Undermilkwood, please tell us all about the full concept as well as that actual effects of global warming. We are not interested in unproven, theoretical effects based on dodgy computer modelling which produced such scare stories as the demise of the Polar Bears, the total melting of the Himalayan glaciers, or the drowning of assorted Pacific islands (none of which have, or are likley to happen). The only meltdown has been of every lie and scare story from the IPCC.