Walton Centre goes smoke-free

Published: 6-Nov-2014

Neurology unit in Liverpool announces site-wide ban on smoking

Patients and visitors at The Walton Centre are being asked to stub out smoking everywhere on the hospital site.

The specialist neuroscience trust is going completely smoke-free from National No Smoking Day on 11 March 2015.

The countdown has begun now during Stoptober, with special support being provided for staff to encourage them to stop smoking, and nicotine replacement therapy offered to inpatients.

When we moved to our current building there was a smoking room for patients and a smoking room for staff, which seems amazing now

One nurse who has given up in Stoptober through the trust’s smoking cessation support is research sister, Kate O’Hanlon. She said: “When I started as an auxiliary nurse 19 years ago, the old Walton Hospital had a smoking room. When we moved to our current building there was a smoking room for patients and a smoking room for staff, which seems amazing now.

“When the rooms closed, I stopped smoking during the working day because there was nowhere to go. Now, I have stopped smoking at home as well and I just take it one day at a time, helped by the trust’s smoke-free nurse and using a prepaid prescription certificate to help pay for nicotine replacement therapy patches.”

As a nurse, she sees the risks to patients who go outside to smoke. She said: “We now have nicotine replacement treatments available for inpatients to help them stop smoking while they are with us, which is much safer and also they will make a much better recovery.”

Hospital chief executive, Chris Harrop, said the aim was to create a healthier environment for patients, visitors and staff.

We pride ourselves on high standards of care and it follows that we should provide a healthier, smoke-free experience for everyone visiting or working in our hospital

“We pride ourselves on high standards of care and it follows that we should provide a healthier, smoke-free experience for everyone visiting or working in our hospital,” he said.

“Our staff are already asked not to smoke on site and we have just one smoking shelter for patients and visitors. This shelter will be removed on 11 March next year and we will be asking everyone not to smoke during their stay with us.

“The important message for our patients is that if they stop smoking for just a day or two before they have surgery, their recovery will be much quicker.”

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