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Care Opinion

Environment at the main entrance

Posted By Miami

"Environment at the main entrance"

About: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - Queen's Medical Centre Campus

(as a relative),

Leaving the main entrance yesterday I was struck by the filthy environment. Only one set of automatic doors working and they directed you straight into the path of the multiple smokers outside the main doors. It is the same walking all the way under the canopy and off the site, there was even a HCA in uniform with a patient in a wheelchair who was smoking, I thought this was not allowed? All the planters had people sitting on them smoking you couldn't walk anywhere without smoke.

Although I could barely see for the smoke, there were cars parked all the way along on the red lines the cones weren't even there. You should advertise the free parking spaces as there was no indication that they were for any staff etc no permits in windows.

You invite people to write in and I have done before and received no response at all, I find this disgraceful. Nothing changes year in year out, no improvements.

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Responses

Response from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 4 years ago
We are preparing to make a change
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

Submitted on 31/10/2019 at 09:56
Published on Care Opinion on 01/11/2019 at 10:01

Thank you for getting in touch and I am very sorry to hear of your experiences at QMC. Our buildings and are grounds are designated as smoke free areas, where smoking is not permitted. These areas are clearly marked and information provided to patients, visitors and staff about our smoke free policies.

We are continually working to keep the grounds smokefree, through a combination of awareness-raising, enforcement, health screening and health promotion.

This is in line with the NICE guidance to becoming smokefree which highlights that to keep the grounds smokefree will take more than signage and enforcement. For this reason NUH is committed to working systematically through these guidelines to ensure full implementation. You can read this guidance here: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph48.

We have recently had a fruit and vegetable stall set up at QMC Main Entrance and will also be implementing this at City Hospital. A number of trusts across England have taken this step to create an environment that will encourage smokers to abstain. We are also in the process of establishing funding for a Community Protection Officer for a trial period to be present at QMC as initiatives similar to this have made a difference at other trusts.

If you would like further information about the smokefree work at NUH please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

With regards to the red lining, these were introduced to keep emergency routes clear of all vehicles, and this is monitored by parking enforcement on a daily basis.

Kind regards

Estates and Facilities
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust

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