The Health Development Agency has issued guidance to help NHS hospitals in England become smoke-free.
Making the NHS smoke-free was a central part of the government’s Choosing Health white paper on public health, published last autumn.
The intention is that the NHS should have become smoke-free by the end of next year.
The HDA document, Guidance for smoke-free hospital trusts, outlines key steps that need to be taken to encourage workers to quit smoking and make trusts smoke-free, what it calls its “five Cs for smoke-free”.
These are: commit to the policy, create the policy, ensure cessation support is widely available and accessible, communicate the policy and consolidate the policy.
The document also includes contact details for health professionals who are willing to offer advice on the issue and information about setting up and implementing a policy.
HDA chairwoman, Dame Yve Buckland, said: “As the UK’s largest employer, the NHS has a moral imperative to lead by example and promote the no smoking message.
“The introduction of smoke-free hospitals could help smokers overcome their habit. This new guidance will help trusts protect staff and patients from the dangers of smoking and also sets out to create an environment in which people feel able to quit smoking and receive support,” she added.
