Patients face total smoking ban

Patients sit outside the hospital to smoke

Hospitals in Gloucestershire may soon introduce a total smoking ban on and around their premises.

Patients at the Gloucestershire Royal, have been regularly gathering outside the front entrance to smoke.

A former smoking room in the hospital was closed in July, leaving the only place to smoke outside the hospital itself.

Now smoking could be banned even in the hospital grounds.

They come down with drips, wheelchairs - they hobble along with sticks - it's silly to be in hospital and yet you've got to come out for a cigarette

Sharon Arnold, patient

Over the past month 2,000 patients, staff and the public were asked for their views on smoking around the county's hospitals.

On Monday the Gloucestershire Hospital Trust will announce its decision, which could see all its hospital sites becoming smoke-free zones.

At the Gloucestershire Royal on Thursday many patients had left their beds for a smoke.

Shirley Palmer had to remove her drip to go outside.

"The nurses didn't take it out, even though I asked them and then when my son came, I came down to have a cigarette, I would go mad if couldn't have one," she said.

Patient Sharon Arnold said: "They come down with drips, wheelchairs - they hobble along with sticks - it's silly to be in hospital and yet you've got to come out for a cigarette, we should be looked after."

Shirley Palmer: Asked nurses to remove drip

Yvonne Rae of the trust said: "We were only formed in April and it was felt that we needed a standard policy across both our hospitals.

"Prior to April, smoking was allowed at the Gloucestershire Royal but not at the Cheltenham General - we felt it was important to have a standardised policy.

"We organised an internet survey on whether smoking should be allowed and also sent people around the wards to ask the patients.

"The ward staff were also consulted."