Big Brother is watching you ... smoke
Tuesday, May 8, 2007 
An NHS Tayside smoking policy leaflet has the following advice for 'In-Patients Who Want To Smoke': "Staff will advise you that it is not in your best interests to leave the clinical area to smoke. Should you choose to leave to smoke a note will be made in your records [my italics]."
The good news is that "If you suffer symptoms of nicotine withdrawal while an in-patient, you can request staff to prescribe nicotine replacement therapy." Well, it's good news for the pharmaceutical industry.
Simon Clark
Bruce Parish, who alerted me to the above, adds, "Medical staff screen all patients on admission so they know whether they smoke or not, and this information will already be stated as 'a note in your records'. Either this information is being duplicated repeatedly by overworked ward staff for no reason, or it is intended to intimidate." I'll let you be the judge.
Reader Comments (11)
It doens't say precisely what they are threatening smokers with?
It would be cruel not to offer nicotine replacement therapy to smokers whilst in hospital given the fact that they are no longer allowed to light up during their stay.
If patients insist on leaving the ward to go and smoke outside then, at the very least, medical staff need to know where they've gone. A note in the patient's case notes or care plan would quickly shed light on the matter.
Yes I'm sure that is the reason Robert.
Oh come on guys, of course it's intimidation.
Perhaps they would like to stamp a big sign on your forehead on admission saying SMOKER,so staff can avoid you should you want to ask permission to go out for a smoke.They will probably also demand you go into a decontamination chamber for half an hour after so you don't bring clingies back inside.
First you are asked if you smoke. Then you are advised not to. Next you're offered 'The Patch'
Finally you are exiled,identified and shunned.
The smoking area is probably next to the rubbish tip, where, should you croak as they hope, they can just bag you and toss you out.
Sorry Diana I was being sarcastic.
A great way to try and force people to use nicotine replacement therapy too. The fact it has a very low success rate seems to be lost in the enthusiasm but Glaxo will be very happy at least.
Of course it hasn't occurred to these health facists that patches, gum or whatever doesn't stand a chance of working unless the smoker themselves actually wants to give up!
I visit a hospital weekly for counselling and there is one small sign near the car park that states the grounds are a no smoking area. This, by the way, is also the Mental Health Outpatient and Day Hospital site. I make a point of smoking whilst walking to and from my appointment on the basis that, as part of the NHS, I am part owner of the property, as we all are and where I have followed the rules and don't smoke inside the buildings I will not be bullied into also not smoking whilst outside!
How do they define "clinical area"? Dundee has a no smoking policy anywhere on the grounds for staff,patients and visitors. Why is there so little mention made of the fact that this is unenforceable as the legislation only covers enclosed or partially enclosed public spaces? I know staff could be disciplined for smoking but visitors and patients?
It's already been admitted they are powerless to stop anyone other than staff from smoking on the grounds.
If you're a patient or visitor they'll ask you to stop and if you don't then they'll leave you alone.
I would encourage anyone to ignore these bans as they are purely farsical and mean spirited. If your hospital is anything like mine then the main doors open out into a car park.
I drive a 3 litre turbo diesel 4x4 - so, it's OK for me to drive that beast on hospital grounds, but not smoke a cigarette?!? A smoking ban on hospital grounds has NOTHING to do with protecting people from ETS and everything to do with trying to make people smoke less.
i see i'm 2 months behind everyone here - however - i work for the nhs i am a smoker, as are many of my colleagues, our trust also bans us from smoking in the grounds, so we have to stand in the road - lovely, some of the lucky ones who own a car and get in early enough can park just outside the grounds and so smoke in relative comfort and safety, i guess if i were to be attacked i could fend them off with my brolly or even possibly my little stool,- yes i sit rather than stand on my unpaid 30minute lunch break, as it's my own time i wonder if i could get away with claiming that i am just an ordinary member of the public rather than staff, you do get to people watch tho out on the road, most pretend your not there, some just give you dirty looks, so far no one has spat on me or been verbally abusive, that's probably just a matter of time, i'm just saying that smoking staff are intimidated and made to feel like worthless morons just as much as the patients, who incidently do have a secluded garden they can use tucked away in a safe and secure position close to the wards
oh and p.s. we are liable to disciplinary and dismissal for smoking on the grounds - although this isn't against the law - just against the trust policy, which was bad enough, but since the law against smoking it's a bit bizarre, the trust policy doesn't seem important anymore now it's overshadowed by the law - although it should feel more important as it's your livlihood at risk! makes you want to scream sod off to the lot of them curl up in a ball and light a fag!