Smokefree

From October 2017, the Trust will be a completely smokefree trust.This means that smoking will not be allowed in any Trust premises or grounds, including outside the wards and hostels e.g. enclosed garden areas and designated smoking areas will be removed from any area inside this hospital.Patients and service users will have to go outside the Trust if they want to smoke.

This will also apply to visitors and staff.We want to help reduce this inequality by creating a smokefree environment across all of our sites. This is in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance which recommends that all hospital sites, including mental health hospitals, should be 100 per cent smokefree.

We will offer our short or long staying inpatient service users support to temporarily abstain, to cut down or quit smoking when they arrive at our wards.This includes:

• One-to-one with your Smokefree Ward Advisor
• Friendly advice and support to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
• Nicotine Replacement Therapy (i.e. nicotine patches, lozenges,inhalator and etc.)

Smoking cessation support and free anti-smoking aids will be available to patients during their time as an inpatient. Unfortunately, exceptions are not permitted in these or any other circumstances.

E cigarettes

E-cigarettes have not been yet licensed but they have been found to be less harmful than smoking cigarettes. For that reason, the Trust has considered the use of e-cigarettes by inpatient service users as they may benefit from using e-cigarettes whilst in hospital.  However, for health and safety reasons only disposable and non-rechargeable devices will be allowed in the Trust. Service users will be responsible for purchasing their own e-cigarettes and their use will only.

If you are a patient or carer please speak to any clinical staff member for support or contact your local stop smoking service.

Support is also available through the national smokefree service online at www.nhs.uk/smokefree or by phoning 0300 123 1044 (free) to speak to an expert adviser.

If you have any questions about smokefree please contact us via smokefree@swlstg-tr.nhs.uk.