FURTHER steps have been taken to encourage smokers to make use of the designated shelters at Great Western Hospital.

Although there have been a number of smoking shelters on the site for some time, people have continued to smoke directly outside of the main reception or close near windows leading on to patient wards.

In a bid to tackle the problem, 30 eye-catching signs have been installed around the hospital reminding visitors, patients and staff that the GWH is a smoke-free site.

Michelle Sharma, nursing auxilliary for the Cherwell Unit and Stop Smoking Adviser, said: “I don’t think it is possible to miss the signs now.

“The trouble is we can’t say to people you have to stop smoking or you can’t have your surgery, so we have the shelters but people don’t always use them. We were getting cigarette butts left around the front of the hospital, and if windows were open on wards, the smoke was getting in.

“Hopefully these signs will encourage people to make use of the shelters.”

Back in 2005, visitors were banned from smoking within five metres of the building, and in 2007, Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust asked residents to fill out a questionnaire about whether smoking should be completely banned at GWH.

Michelle said: “They did try and bring in a complete ban on smoking at the hospital, but it didn’t work as people were walking all the way out on to the main road to smoke which didn’t create a good impression.

“I am a point of contact for patients who want help with giving up smoking and we offer patches for patients so that they don’t wake up from anaesthetic with that urge to have a cigarette.”

GWH is backing the Stop Before Your Op campaign, which encourages smokers to stub out their habit, ideally eight weeks before surgery.

Smokers have a one in three risk of post-operative breathing problems. This can be reduced to one in 10 if they stop eight weeks before an operation.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows they are going to have surgery until they actually need it. Stopping 72 hours or 48 hours before an operation can decrease some of the risks. Carbon monoxide and nicotine are cleared from the body in a matter of days which can help recovery.

For more information visit www.smokefree.nhs.uk.