Dr Keith McNeil, a heart and lung transplant physician and respiratory medicine specialist, says that smoking will not be allowed anywhere on the Cambridge University Hospitals campus from the New Year.
He said: “I have spent a large part of my professional life dealing with the terrible effects of smoking – deaths from cancer, emphysema and lung transplantation. As well as this, smoking costs the NHS and society billions of pounds each year.
“As a leading healthcare organisation we should be encouraging a healthy lifestyle and smoking is not part of that. I know how hard it is to quit and I want to do everything I can do to support staff and patients to give up.
“It’s only right and proper that we lead by example, and make Cambridge University Hospitals a smoke-free campus.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance published today makes a range of recommendations on effective actions including promoting cessation in advance of planned admissions, immediate provision of smoking cessation drugs and behavioural support after admission to hospital, and making all NHS secondary care settings completely smoke-free.
Support offered includes:
CAMQUIT - Cambridgeshire's dedicated smoking cessation service are there to help both staff and patients quit smoking for good, and provide support during the process. Their self-referral form makes it simple to get help.
Smoking during pregnancy - CAMQUIT also holds useful information on smoking during pregnancy, including the risks and how quitting can improve the health of both mother and baby.
SmokeFree from NHS Choices - online and telephone advice as well as a range of useful information. T: 0800 022 4 332.
British Heart Foundation - advice from Britain's leading heart health charity on smoking.
*******
PR & Communications
Cambridge University Hospitals
For further information, please contact Adrian Ient, Media Manager,
Communications Department, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ
Tel: 01223 274433 Email: adrian.ient@addenbrookes.nhs.uk
________________________________________________
Addenbrooke’s boss says smoking will be ‘stubbed out’ on 1 January
27 November 2013
As NICE publishes new guidance today calling for hospitals to become smoke-free, Addenbrooke’s chief executive says a smoking ban will come into force on 1 January 2014.