What will happen in a tobacco-free NHS?

27th February 2017 – A campaign has been launched to make the NHS completely tobacco-free.

Public Health England (PHE) says it would mean a ban on smoking across hospital sites in England.

Only 1 in 10 hospitals enforce a complete ban throughout their premises.

The campaign aims to target patients who smoke with extra support to kick the habit.

Our FAQs explain what's behind the campaign and what a tobacco-free NHS would look like.

What is the current situation with smoking and the NHS?

A recent British Thoracic Society report found that 28% of male hospital patients and 23% of females were smokers. This is higher than in the general adult population.

Among patients admitted to hospital because of respiratory conditions, the proportion was 30%.

According to PHE, other studies have shown that around 1.1 million smokers are admitted to NHS hospitals each year.

Why does the PHE campaign call for a total ban?

The British Thoracic Society report found that only 1 in 10 institutions completely enforce smoke-free grounds.

Out of 140 premises, 40.7% had designated smoking areas.

In November last year, Duncan Selbie, PHE's chief executive, wrote to the chief executive of every NHS Trust in England, calling for their personal commitment to work towards a truly tobacco-free NHS.

That would mean prohibiting smoking outdoors on hospital sites as well as inside.

Shortly afterwards in a blog, he wrote: "Smokers huddled outside hospital doors are a common sight since smoking indoors was banned.

"Many are sick or caring for others and deserve our greatest compassion, yet continuing to normalise smoking in hospital settings is damaging the health of not just those that our doctors and nurses are trying to help, but of future generations too."

What about helping people to quit?

PHE says the NHS is in an excellent position to reach some of the 7 million smokers in England when they are in hospital waiting rooms, consulting rooms and occupying beds on wards. Also, many smokers are NHS staff.

But the British Thoracic Society report found that only 1 in 13 patients who smoke were referred to a hospital or community based smoking cessation service. Also, just over 1 in 4 patients were not even asked whether they smoked.

Other findings were that half of frontline healthcare staff in hospitals were not offered regular training in helping people stop smoking, while only 26% of hospitals had a consultant in charge of overseeing their smoke-free and smoking cessation plans.

PHE's ambition is to have stop smoking support offered on site or by referral to local services. It also wants to see every frontline health professional discussing smoking with their patients.