Smoke ban causes touble at hospital

Sep 12 2008 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

MENTALLY ill patients “detained” at a Chester hospital claim a smoking ban is causing aggravation between staff and service-users.

Patients of Bowmere Hospital at the Countess of Chester Health Park say there have been instances where vulnerable people have become aggressive when told they cannot have a cigarette.

The ban is part of national legislation which has barred smoking in public places – including the rest of the health park – but mental health patients were exempted until July 1 this year.

But, unlike staff and patients of the nearby Countess of Chester Hospital, sectioned mentally ill patients cannot walk to the perimeter of the site to light up.

On occasions, staff will leave their nursing duties to escort patients out of the grounds to smoke but an anonymous letter sent to The Chronicle claims this can leave the wards “dangerously” short of supervision.

The letter, on behalf of patients, reads: “One patient threatened to wreck the ward if she could not have a fag. Management chose to bring in a load of male nurses and threatened to sedate her, to enforce their no-smoking policy, rather than let her smoke.”

The letter claimed one consultant psychiatrist had complained to management stating that 10% of his professional time was now taken up with smoking-related incidents.

It added: “Anyone knows that it is impossible to make habitual smokers give up especially when their anxieties are at such a level they need hospital treatment.”

The letter writer said passing motorists in Liverpool Road could see staff and patients smoking outside the entrance to the health park which was not a good health promotion message.

Avril Devaney, director of nursing, therapies and patient partnership at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said the smoking ban was in compliance with the law. Support had been provided including nicotine replacement, activities and healthy snacks.

She said: “Several service users and staff have used this opportunity to stop smoking and have benefited from the support available. Compared to the general population, those with mental health problems have traditionally smoked significantly more and are therefore at even greater risk of smoke-related illness.

“We are aware that this policy is not popular with all service users and we are doing what we can to support people with their individual needs.”

Two patients at the Rampton high security mental hospital in Nottinghamshire have won the right to appeal against a smoking ban on the premises.

An Appeal Court judge gave the Rampton hospital patients the right to bring a test case over the ban which was imposed in March 2007.

In May a High Court judge upheld the hospital’s no-smoking ban for patients. But the patients – known as G and N – argued it violated their human rights. The appeal hearing, which is expected to last two days, is likely to take place later this year.