This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?
Care Opinion

Ignoring the no smoking signs

Posted By janedoe

"Ignoring the no smoking signs"

About: Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital

(as the patient),

I am a patient with advanced lung disease and require frequent visits to the hospital and intermittent admissions. For years now, I have been appalled to see how many people ignore the no smoking signs and continue to smoke immediately outside the hospital doors. 

I am currently an inpatient on the Respiratory Ward and feel the need to express how dire this situation is. Finally, I am well enough to take myself on a small walk outside the hospital (with oxygen), I am confronted by cigarette smoke, not even 5 metres from the hospital doors. This has now happened on two occasions within just two days. The first, a no-smoking courtyard for patients. The second, immediately outside the main entrance doors, also no-smoking.

If there is no-one patrolling the situation and holding those accountable (they need to be fined), this will continue to happen. So now, I remain in my room, too fearful to go out and have to face smoke which is extremely detrimental to my condition. Something needs to be done about this!

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Janet Zagari, Executive Director, Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group 4 years ago
Janet Zagari
Executive Director,
Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group

Submitted on 30/05/2019 at 12:36 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 1:15 PM

picture of Janet Zagari

Dear janedoe

Thank you for your feedback and please accept my apologies that you have been adversely affected by this continuing issue.

Your concerns have been recorded and passed on to hospital executive for hospital recognition. Security and our dedicated Smoke Free Compliance Officer have also been informed and will monitor the identified areas more closely. The QEIIMC Trust currently contracts a dedicated Smoke Free Compliance Officer with responsibility for administering the WA No Smoking legislation and policy on the Campus. No Smoking enforcement measures are used judiciously, in an educative, non-confrontational manner, so as not to be insensitive to patients and visitors’ personal circumstances or put staff in harm’s way, and so as not to be in breach of WA Health legislation and policy.

Yours sincerely

Janet Zagari

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by janedoe (the patient)

Thank you for responding to my concern. However, I feel your response is severely lacking in proposed action. I have continued to be a patient here over the past few weeks and have been on the lookout for said Smoke Free Compliance Officer. The only thing I have continued to observe is smoking, smoking and more smoking. The No Smoking enforcement measures are not working. You only have to look at the ground to see the hundreds of cigarette butts to confirm this. Having looked over the WA health legislation and policy, it states that non-compliant patients are to be reminded of the policy and asked to extinguish their cigarettes. Clearly, more staff need to be in the role of asking people to extinguish their cigarettes. Any Compliance Officer needs to be visible at all times so that at least the threat of punishment is visible.

Furthermore, there actually needs to be consequences for breaking the No Smoking rule. I understand personal circumstances can be tough when in hospital or visiting loved ones. For this reason, patients who smoke are offered nicotine replacement during their visit. It is not fair for their habits to impose on another patient's well being and recovery. I also understand that some sites have introduced by-laws allowing health services to fine those who do not comply with the policy. Is SCGH one of these sites? If not, why not?

Response from Theresa Marshall, A/Executive Director, Mental Health, Public Health and Dental Services, North Metropolitan Health Service 4 years ago
Theresa Marshall
A/Executive Director, Mental Health, Public Health and Dental Services,
North Metropolitan Health Service

Submitted on 20/06/2019 at 11:11 AM
Published on Care Opinion at 11:20 AM

Dear janedoe,

Thank you for your further feedback. As healthcare workers dedicated to the wellbeing of our community we are also very frustrated by the blatant disregard some members of the community have for our Smoke Free status. This is a problem shared by many health facilities.

In July 2016, the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre (Delegated Site) By-laws 1986 were gazetted to authorise infringement of people up to $200 if found smoking on the QEIIMC campus; however, enforcing these infringements is limited as it must be done by an Authorised Person and assumes that a smoker will provide their details upon request. The preferred approach is to educate and be non-confrontational to encourage people to ‘butt out’. Staff are able to request people extinguish their cigarettes, but only where they feel it is safe to do so. We will not put our staff in a position of risk, and you are likely aware of well-publicised situations where harm has come from such a simple request by health care workers.

On a site as large and open as our 28 hectare campus, effective patrolling is challenging and, to increase resourcing for this would take away much-needed funding from within the hospital for patient care. I can assure you that our Smoke Free Compliance Officer is doing as much as possible within the limits of the By-Laws to encourage people to extinguish their cigarettes on site.

I wish you well with your treatment.

Regards,

Theresa

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k