Trust prepares for Smokefree future
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust has announced it is preparing to go ‘Smokefree’ this year.
The Trust is just the latest across England to agree to ban smoking in all buildings and on land it owns across the area, by staff, patients and visitors.
The move follows new guidance from government, which is keen to see all healthcare delivered from completely Smokefree environments.
The new policy – designed to protect people against the proven health risks of smoking and second hand smoke – will be supported by a programme of ‘quit’ training for staff in a range of Trust services.
Staff, patients and carers will all be offered support to quit smoking if they want it. The Trust will also adopt rules regarding the availability of nicotine replacement therapy patches and non-rechargable electronic cigarettes as part of its fresh approach.
Tracey Wrench, Director of Nursing and Quality, said: “We want to ensure that we do all we can to discourage smoking due to the damage it can do to people’s health.
”This includes preventing any smoking at all in and around any of our buildings. We will be able to offer help to people to quit smoking, and have already begun to train our staff to support people into quit programmes.
“We recognise the powerful message it sends when an organisation like ours announces it will do all it can to prevent smoking, and aim to put our new approach in place later this year.”
If you live, work or are registered with a GP in Coventry, you can get free NHS support from the Smokefree Coventry team by calling 0300 200 0011, texting QUIT to 07768 867987 or emailing smokefree.coventry@covwarkpt.nhs.uk. More details about the Coventry service can be found on the Trust website atwww.covwarkpt.nhs.uk/CoventryStopSmoking.
If you live in Warwickshire, free stop smoking support is available by calling 0800 085 2917 or texting LIFE to 80800. More details about the Warwickshire service can be found at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/stopsmoking.
If you live in Solihull, the NHS Stop Smoking Service can be contacted by calling 0121 704 6000 or emailing Bhs-tr.SolihullStopSmoking@nhs.net.