As a Trust, we are committed to making sure we provide a safe environment for our patients, their carers, staff and visitors.
We have a duty of care to protect the health of people who use or work in our services and to promote healthy behaviour.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2013 guidance recommends that all NHS sites are smokefree.
There are some worrying statistics:
- People with serious mental illness die on average 15 to 25 years earlier than the rest of the population.
- Smoking is the largest single cause of early deaths and preventable illnesses in England.
- Smoking-related illnesses account for over 80,000 deaths per year.
- One in two long-term smokers will die early from smoking-related diseases.
As a Trust, we are committed to making sure we provide a safe environment for our patients, their carers, staff and visitors.
We have a duty of care to protect the health of people who use or work in our services and to promote healthy behaviour.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2013 guidance recommends that all NHS sites are smokefree.
There are some worrying statistics:
- People with serious mental illness die on average 15 to 25 years earlier than the rest of the population.
- Smoking is the largest single cause of early deaths and preventable illnesses in England.
- Smoking-related illnesses account for over 80,000 deaths per year.
- One in two long-term smokers will die early from smoking-related diseases.
Stopping smoking increases your chances of living a longer life. It can take as little as 20 minutes for your body to start healing once you quit smoking.
The chart below will show you how soon you will see physical/health benefits:
- 20 minutes: Your blood pressure and pulse go back to normal
- 8 hours: Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in your blood reduce by half. Oxygen levels return to normal
- 24 hours: Your lungs start to clear out mucus and carbon monoxide will be eliminated
- 48 hours: Your body is free of nicotine and your sense of taste and smell have improved
- 72 hours: Your breathing is easier and you should have more energy
- 3 to 9 months: Your lung capacity can improve by up to 10%, leading to improvement with coughing, breathing and wheezing
- 5 years: Your risk of a stroke falls to about the same as a non-smoker
- 10 years: Your risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker and risk of heart attack falls to the same as a non-smoker
The British High Court (2008) ruled that smoking is not a basic human right. It is reasonable to expect the Trust to take action to preserve the health of patients and staff.
There is currently no documented evidence related to the safe distance that staff would be required to stand away from a patient who is smoking. In order to protect Trust staff from second-hand smoke exposure, the Trust has taken the decision that no staff member will be expected to accompany or support a patient to smoke at any time. All escorted leave plans will be negotiated in advance so that individual patients are clear they will not be permitted to smoke in the company of their staff escort.
If you are admitted to hospital, you will be introduced to a member of staff who is trained to assess your needs. The staff member will offer:
- advice and support on remaining smokefree
- support to choose an appropriate nicotine-containing product
- nicotine replacement products to be made available within 30 minutes of admission
- an individualised care plan to support you whilst you are smokefree
- information about the frequency of use of nicotine-containing products in this care plan
- behavioural support and advice
- increased alternative social activities alongside nicotine-containing products
Staff will be able to provide nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), such as patches, inhalators or lozenges. NRT will help with cravings for a cigarette and wards hold a stock of these for people staying in hospital.
Should you require any additional information, please ask to speak to a trained member of staff on your ward. Please do not be tempted to have a cigarette. Help is available to support you and to make sure you are comfortable during your stay in hospital.
Should you come into hospital with tobacco products, cigarettes, lighters or matches, staff will safely store these and then return them to you on discharge. Alternatively they can be given to a family member or carer to take home with them.
If you feel tempted to have a cigarette, please ask staff for additional support with nicotine replacement. Any person smoking within Trust grounds will be asked to stop smoking and then offered the opportunity to be involved in a discussion with ward staff, which would be recorded within their notes as all interventions are. This discussion will include:
- the risks of smoking whilst using NRT e.g. Patches
- the potential effects on some medications of smoking or cessation
Smoking can affect the way some psychiatric drugs are metabolised so those who smoke may require more medication than non-smokers. Not smoking will usually mean lower doses of some medication will be necessary and therefore fewer side effects. (Further information is available from a member of ward staff)
Please do not be offended if you are approached by a member of staff. They are looking to protect your health and that of other patients, carers, staff and visitors to the Trust by keeping the premises smokefree.
- If you are receiving treatment at home or in a community setting, you will be asked to provide a smokefree environment when Trust staff visit you.
- Staff can signpost you to other services for support to stop smoking should you wish or you can contact your local stop-smoking service directly. The Trust also now has a number of “in-house” smoking cessation clinics available, so please ask a member of staff for further information.
- For those smokers who feel unable to stop at the moment, a harm reduction approach may be offered. This will look at reducing harm by limiting the number of cigarettes you smoke and using nicotine replacement to support you in the longer term.
We understand that trying to stop smoking can be difficult, but advice and support is available. Local community stop-smoking services have specially trained advisors who are friendly, approachable and non-judgemental. They can give you advice and medications to support your attempt to quit.
Many pharmacies and GPs are also trained to offer support locally.
It's widely known that stopping smoking improves our physical health, but it's also proven to boost mental health and wellbeing. In fact, smokers are also more likely than non-smokers to develop depression over time and smokers who have existing mental health conditions need higher doses of some antipsychotic medicines and antidepressants because smoking interferes with the way these medicines work.When people stop smoking, studies show:
- anxiety, depression and stress levels are lower
- quality of life and positive mood improve
- the dosage of some medicines used to treat mental health problems can be reduced
Most smokers say they want to stop, but some continue because smoking seems to relieve stress and anxiety – however the relief from smoking is only temporary and in fact it's the effects of smoking itself that are likely to have caused the anxiety in the first place.
The Trust currently supports the use of e-cigarettes by patients within in-patient areas.
Public Health England advise that encouraging smokers who cannot or do not want to stop smoking to switch to e-cigarettes could help to reduce smoking-related disease, death and health inequalities. They recognise that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than smoking a cigarette and therefore may support compliance with TEWV’s smokefree policy and help smokers to manage their nicotine dependence.
E-cigarettes are currently not recommended for use by pregnant women or young people under the age of 18 and currently we do not promote or advocate their use. However, should a pregnant woman come into hospital already using an e-cigarette, then, following a risk assessment, she may be supported to continue with their use and will be referred to appropriate stop-smoking services on discharge.
- Dinner Lady rechargeable vapes (purchased from the Trust) will be the ONLY ones permitted to be used and charged within whilst you are staying with us.
- Dinner Lady rechargeable vapes will only be available for use by patients in identified areas (such as in courtyards or single occupancy bedrooms) but not in any communal areas and should be stored safely and securely.
- Dinner Lady rechargeable vapes can be used following an individual risk assessment of a patient’s suitability for the charging of their own e-cigarettes, ensuring the appropriate charger is used.
- Dinner Lady rechargeable vapes must be disposed of appropriately in identified bins.
Smokefree Hampshire
- In Hampshire services are provided by Smokefree Hampshire.
- You can self-refer online here or call 01264 563039 (Mon-Friday 9am-5pm).
Support is also available through the NHS smokefree service online at www.nhs.uk/smokefree or by phoning 0300 123 1044 (free). The service is available Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm and Saturday to Sunday 11am to 4pm
For more information, visit Take steps NOW to stop smoking - NHS (www.nhs.uk) or Stopping smoking (southampton.gov.uk)