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Smoking outside maternity/ fertility centre

Posted By VFAR

"Smoking outside maternity/ fertility centre"

About: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France / Maternity care Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France / Reproductive Health (Simpson Centre)

(as a service user),

We are currently patients with the Edinburgh Fertility centre at the royal infirmary Edinburgh and every single time we have an appointment there is someone heavily pregnant smoking  outside the doors/windows.

This centre is directly beside the maternity unit, ultrasound etc. I find it so hard not to be angry everytime I see this. Smoking outside a hospital in general isn’t great, but knowing you can’t have something you desperately want and someone who got that so easy (presumably) is smoking with a massive bump, endangering their child.

At the very least this needs to be stopped completely and policed better. I understand the NHS is under massive strain but it’s already hard seeing people next to the clinic having the happiest time of their lives when you’re receiving bad news. 

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Responses

Response from Ruth Tolton, Tobacco Control Project Manager, Public Health, NHS Lothian last month
We are preparing to make a change
Ruth Tolton
Tobacco Control Project Manager, Public Health,
NHS Lothian

Submitted on 13/05/2025 at 10:15
Published on Care Opinion at 12:16

Hello,

Thank you for giving us feedback following your visit at the Royal Infirmary. I am sorry to hear that you experienced people smoking outside of the fertility centre and maternity units. We want everyone to visit a safe and healthy hospital environment.

NHS Lothian has a smoke free policy, and a lot of work has been undertaken in the background to reduce smoking on the hospital grounds with a view to eradicate smoking on the grounds completely. We are working with staff to raise awareness of the policy and have positive conversations about the benefits of a smoke free hospital.

In regard to the area around the fertility centre, we are currently addressing smoking in this area, and we are working to put in additional measures to reduce smoking here.

You’ve mentioned a lack of policing – while we agree that this is important, our larger aim is to achieve a smoke free environment by changing the cultural acceptability of smoking. We know from other hospitals which have undergone a smoke free change that having public and staff support will ensure a long-lasting change.

Best wishes,

Ruth Tolton

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