Hospital sites across the West Midlands region are being urged to take steps to become tobacco-free to improve the health of their patients and staff. .

This week Public Health England (PHE) Chief Executive Duncan Selbie has written to every NHS Trust Chief Executive asking them to implement a ban on smoking by patients, staff and visitors across all hospital buildings and grounds.

Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive at Public Health England said in his letter to NHS trusts: “I am asking for your help to reach smokers who are in your hospital waiting rooms, consulting rooms and beds.

“By working together I believe we can make the NHS a place which provides a supportive tobacco-free environment for patients, staff and visitors”.

In the West Midlands region several trusts have led the way with smoking bans on hospital grounds, while many more are working with other organisations including their local authority public health teams towards going completely smoke-free in the future.

Despite declines in smoking prevalence over recent decades, almost 16% of adults in the West Midlands still smoke, and tobacco use remains the single largest cause of health inequalities and premature death. For every death caused by smoking, approximately 20 smokers are suffering from smoking related disease. While smoking during pregnancy is associate with a range of negative outcomes including miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and neonatal complications.

The NHS brand is one of the most recognised and trusted in the UK. In his letter Duncan Selbie asks hospital chief executives to work together to build on that trust by ensuring it becomes a powerful symbol of genuine health and wellbeing.

Nigel Smith, PHE West Midlands Health Improvement Manager leading on smoking and tobacco control, said: “In the West Midlands region, some trusts have led the way with smoking bans on both premises and hospital grounds, while many more are working with other organisations including their local authority public health teams towards going completely tobacco-free in the future.

“Around 15.7% of adults in the West Midlands region smoke, so we have a lot of work still to do to encourage people to quit and give them a better chance of staying healthy and avoiding conditions such as lung and oral cancers, coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and strokes. Help is available throughout the year from local Stop Smoking Services, which can be found by visiting www.nhs.uk/smokefree.

“PHE believes that the NHS must support every option to discourage smoking. Naturally that includes restrictions on staff and patients smoking in and around hospital grounds. We will continue to work with local health partners to support them to make their premises and grounds completely tobacco-free.”