From today, Wednesday 13 March, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a smokefree site.
On National No Smoking Day the NHS Trust commits to becoming smokefree to benefit the health of patients, staff and the local community.
In the UK there are 408,700 hospital admissions and 74,600 deaths per year attributed to smoking. Tobacco is currently the world’s single biggest cause of preventable death and the single largest driver of health inequalities in England which is one of the many reasons why the Trust is joining other local hospitals in going smokefree.
Rebecca Martin, Medical Director at QEH, said: “From today we are smokefree. Smoking is an addiction which requires necessary support and treatment. By becoming a smokefree site and putting in place support for patients and our staff to stop smoking we are fulfilling our duty as a health organisation to provide facilities which helps people to stop smoking.
“Smoking on average reduces life expectancy by 10 years. We also know that people who smoke and are admitted to hospital are much more likely to require longer stays and have complications after they have had surgery.
“Becoming smokefree is part of our commitment to help support the health outcomes for the local population by playing our part in reducing smoking prevalence.”
Patients that smoke who attend the hospital will be given support through nicotine replacement therapy when they are admitted. Vaping is permitted onsite to support smoking cessation in clearly designated areas.
In October last year the Trust signed the Smokefree Pledge.
More information on smokefree site, the smokefree policy, and advice for patients can be found here.
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Notes to editors;
To download the full press pack click here.
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.
Data source Statistics on Public Health, England 2023 – NHS Digital
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