Hospital signs NHS Smokefree pledge and announces plans to become smoke-free site

King’s Lynn hospital leaders today committed to joining other organisations in creating a smoke-free NHS and announced the entire Trust site will be smoke-free next year.

CEO Alice Webster and Chief Medical Director Dr Rebecca Martin have both signed their commitment to the NHS Smoke-free Pledge signalling the Trust ambition to become a smoke-free in March 2024.

Alice Webster, QEH CEO, said; “Today, during the month of Stoptober, we have signed the NHS Smoke-free pledge. This signals our intention to become a smoke-free site from March.

“Smoking is an addiction which requires both support and treatment. We will soon be developing services which support our staff, patients, and visitors to quit. We have a duty as a health organisation, to help improve health outcomes for our local community and we are doing this by providing an environment that helps facilitate smoking cessation.” 

Rebecca Martin, Medical Director, said: “I am passionate about supporting people to stop smoking for the benefit of their own health.

“Smoking on average reduces life expectancy by 10 years. In England alone, almost 64,000 people die from tobacco related diseases each year. Smoking accounts for over one-third of all deaths from respiratory disease and one quarter of all deaths from cancer. If admitted to hospital people who smoke are more likely to require longer stays and need intensive care after surgery.”

The NHS Smoke-free Pledge is a clear way in which NHS organisations show their commitment to helping smokers to quit and to providing smoke-free environments.

The NHS Smokefree Pledge was relaunched in 2022 to bring it into line with the Government’s ambition for England to be smokefree by 2030 and commitments made to improve smoking cessation support available through the NHS in the NHS Long Term Plan.

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For media enquires only, please contact Communications Team, media.enquiries@qehkl.nhs.uk or 01553 613216.

For all other enquiries, please contact QEH Switchboard on 01553 613613.

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