New approach to tackling smoking at Scunthorpe and Goole hospitals

A new announcement system has been installed at the main entrances where smokers tend to light up. When someone approaches the area a voice recording states “smoking is not permitted on this hospital site.” The recording is triggered every time someone approaches the doors to the main entrance.

The system has already been trialled at Grimsby hospital and has resulted in a significant drop in the number of smokers stood outside.

All three of the Trust’s hospitals are ‘smoke free’ sites and the voice recording is just the latest way the Trust is promoting this. There is already clear signage on all three sites stating that smoking is not permitted and messages have been spray painted onto the floor where smokers stand outside the main entrances telling people not to smoke.

Hotel services general manager Keith Fowler said: “We are committed to providing a smoke free environment for our patients, visitors and staff. Smoking is a major cause of illness and early death and as one of the main providers of healthcare services in the local community we are want to eliminate smoking on Trust premises.

“Nobody wants to walk through a cloud of smoke as they enter hospital. Smoking on site is very difficult to police and enforce throughout and we do get regular complaints from visitors about it. Hopefully this new approach to tackling it will work as well as it has over at Grimsby where there’s been a noticeable difference in the number of cigarette butts around the area.”