Media Release
Date: 4 April 2014
Smoking shelters to be installed at RUH
Three smoking shelters will be installed within the next few days on the RUH site, with smoking outside of these areas strictly forbidden.
All members of the public and staff will be asked to only smoke within the shelters which will be put by the main hospital entrance, by the entrance to the Princess Anne Wing, and near to Coffin Lane.
Howard Jones, Director of Estates and Facilities, said: "We have tried for many years to stop smoking on the site but the many 'no smoking' notices around the site, and verbal requests are frequently ignored.
"We have received many complaints from patients, members of the public, our neighbours, and our own staff about the number of people smoking outside our entrances, and also the mess left by discarded cigarette butts.
"We would prefer to be a completely smoke-free site but it has proven to be impossible to maintain this position. We are not prepared to accept patients, visitors, and staff having to walk through smoke to enter or leave our hospital.
"Smoking shelters are a pragmatic response adopted by many hospitals and we have decided to try them to see if it will make a difference.
"As part of their regular patrols of the site, our security team will ask anyone seen smoking outside of one of the authorised areas to either immediately put out their cigarette or move to one of the shelters."
The shelters are being installed at locations where smokers normally congregate and their use will be reviewed regularly.