Hat tip to Smoking Lamp for this:
Almost a third of NHS hospitals in England still allow smoking on their premises, according to an official report.
Health chiefs have called for hospitals across the country to stop people from lighting up on their grounds since 2013.
But a survey of NHS hospital trusts by Public Health England has found 31 per cent still allow smokers on their premises.
It remains legal to smoke on hospital grounds in England – despite it being outlawed in Northern Ireland and Scotland, and soon to be Wales.
Public health minister, Seema Kennedy, said she is determined’ to see a smoke-free NHS by 2020.
She added: ‘No-one should have to walk past a cloud of smoke in order to enter or leave their local hospital.
‘I am encouraged by this new survey, which shows great strides have already been made towards a smoke-free NHS, I strongly urge all trusts to follow suit.’
I find it cheering that a third of hospitals in England still allow smoking on their grounds. It sounds like there must be quite strong resistance from within hospitals.
And it’s easy to see why. When smoking is banned in hospital grounds, patients who want to smoke have to limp all the way to the hospital gates, complete with drips and catheters. And this is plainly extremely abusive towards patients, and no doctor who is genuinely concerned with the well-being of their patients would wish to see this happening.
And also people wouldn’t have to “walk past a cloud of smoke” to enter or leave a hospital if the smokers were provided with suitable covered areas where they can smoke. These are provided by a great many other organisations , such as pubs and restaurants, many of whom also provide ashtrays as well.
But the bullying bastards in Public Health have no intention of doing the same, because they’re actually trying to force people to stop smoking, and will never pass up an opportunity to make life as hard as possible for smokers.
It reminds me that I’ve been meaning to write to my MP about this. I’ve really only held off from doing so because MPs have clearly been completely overwhelmed with work during the long-running Brexit saga. But I think that now he’s not under quite as much pressure.
Frank Davis 
Public health minister, Seema Kennedy, said she is determined’ to see a smoke-free NHS by 2020.
Dream on, girl!!! First concentrate on staff suffering from “burn out syndrome”. Smoking does not make it on the list of the acute problems the NHS has.
She added: ‘No-one should have to walk past a cloud of smoke in order to enter or leave their local hospital.
Nobody had to when there were smoking rooms with coffee machines. Perhaps we could bring them back?
Ms Kennedy’s academic credentials are: Education Seema was educated in Blackburn before studying oriental studies (French and Persian) at Pembroke College, Cambridge. After Cambridge, she took a legal practice course. Seema Kennedy was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care in April 2019.
Basically she’s just another neurotic psychopath with a personal phobia about tobacco smoke. Why did PM May appoint her Minister of Health? I hope that the next PM relieves her of her present duties.
slugbop007
Frank, thanks for mentioning this (and the h/t)…
A good resource for looking at this issue is found in “Prejudice and Prohibition: Results of a study of smoking and vaping policies in NHS hospital trusts in England” published by FOREST. It is available here: http://forestonline.org/files/3915/5222/7436/Prejudice_and_Prohibition.pdf
Simon Clark in his forward to the report notes:
— “Banning smoking on hospital grounds may seem reasonable to many people but the policy demonstrates a staggering lack of empathy and compassion, targeting, as it does, people who may be feeling particularly vulnerable – stressed, upset and in some cases in need of a comforting cigarette.”
— “I would go further and argue that it’s cruel and a shocking indictment of our ‘caring’ NHS. Where’s the compassion in forcing someone to go off site before they can light up? They may be infirm, physically and mentally. It could be dark, late at night and they might be alone. No-one who is already suffering from ill health or may be recovering from an accident or serious operation should be treated in such a callous fashion.”
He goes on to rightly suggest that designated smoking areas (indoors and out) would solve the problem the antismokers use to justify the total bans. Of course that reasonable middle ground fall on deaf ears as the antismokers actually seek full prohibition and punishing and persecuting smokers is a means to their end.
Sharing this report with Members of Parliament (or other legislators) in addition to voicing opposition to smoking bans might help stimulate an understanding of the scope of abuse being levied on smokers in the name of ‘public health’.