"Ist experience of the hospital - as a visitor"

We have never visited Blackburn Royal Hospital previously but were visiting a friend in Ward B24. We did not have an auspicious start as the queue to enter the car park was long and slow. I had to leave my Husband to park the car so that I could go and visit our friend. As you walk into the entrance you pass through a haze of smoke. There was a line of patients and visitors smoking adjacent to the entrance directly under, 'No Smoking,' signs. Why is this allowed? Many hospitals and other public buildings now have bans on smoking on hospital property and enforce this. When I entered the hospital I could not see where the wards were situated so I asked a young porter. This porter is an absolute credit to the hospital. They escorted me to Ward B24 despite being rather a distance away from the foyer. On entering the ward our friend was being assisted in walking by a nursing student. When they had assisted our friend in sitting on a chair they brought me a chair. This was such a lovely nurse, nothing was too much trouble and had the personal qualities which you value in a nurse. Generally impressed with the cleanliness of the hospital and the staff who we encountered.