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with 'SWINDON NEWS'
10:09am Thursday 17th July 2008
LIGHTING up outside the Great Western Hospital could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new anti-smoking policy.
To enforce the message a smoking cessation enforcement officer will patrol the site and CCTV will be used.
The hospital takes its responsibilities seriously, we want to support people who want to give up
Oonagh Fitzgerald
The Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, is launching its Smokefree campaign in conjunction with Swindon PCT on August 1.
This limits smoking to just set areas a fixed distance away from the hospital site.
And the plan is to ban it completely in six months.
Oonagh Fitzgerald, the director of workforce and education for the Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, said: "The hospital takes its responsibilities as a healthcare provider seriously and research suggests that more than 70 per cent of smokers want to give up at any one time.
"We want to support people to do so."
Smoking still causes one in five of all deaths and is the single biggest preventable killer.
The new guidelines will be sent out in brochures, sent out internally and advertised on the side of buses and local radio.
At the hospital itself there will be a banner at the entrance and posters and brochures on display and smoking signage will be changed.
A hospital spokeswoman also confirmed that patients with upcoming appointments would receive letters alerting them to the hospital's "Smokefree" status.
In addition drop-in sessions will be provided for staff to give them information on support services to help them quit.
Following a public consultation in June 2007 smoking at the hospital was limited to three specially created smoking shelters.
Some hospital trusts have managed to go completely smoke-free, but a 2007 survey revealed that 57 per cent of those questioned in the Swindon area wanted a dedicated area to smoke.
The original plan had been to go completely smoke free, but part of the issue over smoking at the hospital is that the current regulations have been difficult to enforce.
A meeting to discuss the upcoming policy change had referred to poor compliance with current regulations, which allow people to smoke as long as they are five metres away from the main building.
For those seeking help the Swindon NHS Stop Smoking Service has a freephone number for patients or visitors to get support on 0800 389 2229.
dc, swindon says...
10:39am Thu 17 Jul 08
Tarot, Swindon says...
10:42am Thu 17 Jul 08
Casual Observer, Swindon says...
10:50am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
10:54am Thu 17 Jul 08
Casual Observer, Swindon says...
11:02am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez wrote:Don't you think it would be morally wrong to spend public money on providing a special place for people to go and deliberately damage their health within the grounds of a hospital?
I have no wish to get involved with the reasoning of this decision, but would like to know why it is with everything HMG/DoH involving smoking that despite a clear majority when asked (57%) wanted specific smoking areas, that they completely ignore the public's wishes. Consultation with HMG is a joke.
Robins69, swindon says...
11:09am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:12am Thu 17 Jul 08
matty1964, Lyneham says...
11:13am Thu 17 Jul 08
Peeved, Swindon says...
11:13am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robins69 wrote:And drinkers. And mountain climbers. And skydivers. Bike riders. People who don't use the correct crossing points on busy roads. Over eaters...etc etc
Smokers should be charged for health care for tratment needed due to smoking same for drug users as well.
madamspud169, Kempsford, Swindon says...
11:14am Thu 17 Jul 08
tibbie, swindon says...
11:14am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:17am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:19am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:20am Thu 17 Jul 08
Casual Observer, Swindon says...
11:22am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez wrote:No point arguing with you RFM - you bring everything back to an anti-government argument.
CO, is it not morally wrong to force the old and infirm out into the cold in the first place. As readers will know I have never smoked in my life, but the reality is smoking is a life style choice, like eating red meat (now apparently also a cause of cancer), would it be therefore morally wrong for the hospital to sell meat in the canteen. I do not condone smoking but it seems to me that to use your morality argument could apply to any life style choice. Or do you believe in the concept of the Nanny State.
Smoking still causes one in five of all deaths and is the single biggest preventable killer.
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:28am Thu 17 Jul 08
Frontier(s), says...
11:28am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:32am Thu 17 Jul 08
Mick out West, West Swindon says...
11:44am Thu 17 Jul 08
Frontier(s), says...
11:47am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:49am Thu 17 Jul 08
tibbie, swindon says...
11:57am Thu 17 Jul 08
Ankh, Morpork says...
11:58am Thu 17 Jul 08
Not only were they not ashamed of being 20 stone, they were actively proud of it - and that was just the women.Why should they be ashamed, if they feel good about themselves then fairplay to them. Of course your perfect in every way I'm sure.
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
11:59am Thu 17 Jul 08
cfa, newcastle says...
11:59am Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
12:00pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Casual Observer, Swindon says...
12:13pm Thu 17 Jul 08
LordBelacqua wrote:two words: Pork Pie - size medium, washed down with a pint of bitter. Never did anyone any harm (probably).
Two words: Chloe Marshall - size 16 Miss England contestant.
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
12:18pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Casual Observer, Swindon says...
12:23pm Thu 17 Jul 08
The number of teenagers who have tried smoking has dropped from 53% in 1982 to 33% in 2007, the figures showed.BBC News website, two minutes ago
Around 6% of pupils smoke at least once a week, which is lower than at any time since pupils' smoking was first measured.
The government said the figures showed health messages were getting through.
yeti, swindon says...
12:26pm Thu 17 Jul 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
12:30pm Thu 17 Jul 08
LordBelacqua wrote:That's not big though not really, def not obese
Two words: Chloe Marshall - size 16 Miss England contestant.
LordBelacqua, Swindon says...
12:31pm Thu 17 Jul 08
emmylou83 wrote:Oh shush you lol
LordBelacqua wrote: Two words: Chloe Marshall - size 16 Miss England contestant.That's not big though not really, def not obese
Oxford, Toothill says...
12:36pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Oxford, Toothill says...
12:41pm Thu 17 Jul 08
yeti, swindon says...
12:46pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Frontier(s), says...
12:48pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Ankh wrote:I'm not perfect, no, of course not.
Not only were they not ashamed of being 20 stone, they were actively proud of it - and that was just the women.Why should they be ashamed, if they feel good about themselves then fairplay to them. Of course your perfect in every way I'm sure.
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
12:49pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Adder, Swindon says...
12:49pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Ankh, Morpork says...
1:06pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Frontier(s) wrote:Of course eating yourself into wheelchair is shameful but you give me impression that you think everyone who is over weight eat/drink too much and dont exercise. Surely your not that naive.
Ankh wrote:I'm not perfect, no, of course not. But somebody who is 20 stone was once a normal weight. They CHOOSE to be like that because they choose to stuff themselves senseless and do no exercise. Very few people looks 'good' at 20 stone and, in reality, very few people who weight 20 stone actually like the fact that they're so obese. They may pretend they're OK with it, that doesn't mean they are really. You really don't think there's any shame at all in eating yourself into a mobility wheelchair by 40?Not only were they not ashamed of being 20 stone, they were actively proud of it - and that was just the women.Why should they be ashamed, if they feel good about themselves then fairplay to them. Of course your perfect in every way I'm sure.
Oxford, Toothill says...
1:10pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Frontier(s), says...
1:12pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Oxford, Toothill says...
1:20pm Thu 17 Jul 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
1:53pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Being overweight is one thing, being a wobbling blob of 20-stone fat is entirely another.
Liz, swindon says...
1:56pm Thu 17 Jul 08
LordBelacqua wrote:I think you will find that size 16 isn't deemed big these days
Two words: Chloe Marshall - size 16 Miss England contestant.
emmylou83, Stratton says...
1:59pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Pav, Swindon says...
2:15pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Adder wrote:^ Wot he said ^
How much is this "Smoking Cessation Officer" going to cost and who is going to pay? I would rather see the funds being used to employ another nurse than a jumped up little Hitler.
Frontier(s), says...
2:38pm Thu 17 Jul 08
emmylou83 wrote:emmylou, if you can't see the difference between a person who should be 12 stone weighing either 13 stone or 20 stone then you'd better see an optician.
Being overweight is one thing, being a wobbling blob of 20-stone fat is entirely another.being 20stone is still overweight is it not??? I'm overweight and I know it but do I care? Nope!! I'm losing weight but i'm going it for me not anyone else and not for my health, nothing wrong with my health according to my GP and I smoked too for yrs.
emmylou83, Stratton says...
2:47pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Frontier(s) wrote:Ah Frontier(s) I've been waiting for you to have your say on my post. At what point did I say I couldn't see the difference??? I'm just saying regardless of whether someone is a stone overweight or 9stone overweight they are still overweight. I should be something ridiculous like 9stone, now if I was that thin I'd look ill so I'm glad I'm overweight.
emmylou83 wrote:emmylou, if you can't see the difference between a person who should be 12 stone weighing either 13 stone or 20 stone then you'd better see an optician.Being overweight is one thing, being a wobbling blob of 20-stone fat is entirely another.being 20stone is still overweight is it not??? I'm overweight and I know it but do I care? Nope!! I'm losing weight but i'm going it for me not anyone else and not for my health, nothing wrong with my health according to my GP and I smoked too for yrs.
mavis, Swindon says...
3:34pm Thu 17 Jul 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
3:48pm Thu 17 Jul 08
mavis wrote:Exactly even CCTV has blind spots
They won't be able to police the whole site, so can't see the point of it to be honest
midge, Stratton says...
4:11pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Frontier(s), says...
4:35pm Thu 17 Jul 08
emmylou wrote:
I'm just saying regardless of whether someone is a stone overweight or 9stone overweight they are still overweight.
I should be something ridiculous like 9stone, now if I was that thin I'd look ill so I'm glad I'm overweight.
emmylou83, Stratton says...
4:47pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
5:00pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Ellen, Haydon Wick Swindon says...
5:02pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
5:38pm Thu 17 Jul 08
HoneyPie, The Shire says...
7:58pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Frontier(s), says...
8:56pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Ellen wrote:
Do we then charge everyone and do away with the NHS altogether?
Ben, Swindon says...
11:18pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Ben, Swindon says...
11:18pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Ben, says...
11:23pm Thu 17 Jul 08
Neil, Swindon says...
1:38am Fri 18 Jul 08
cfa, newcastle says...
10:20am Thu 17 Jul 08