Dorset HealthCare is a Smokefree Trust, with the aim of promoting and supporting the good health of our staff, service users and their families/carers. 

Despite the number of smokers being at the lowest level since records began, smoking remains the single largest cause of preventable ill health and premature death, as well as costing healthcare services in Dorset more than £22million each year. Evidence shows that, as well as the physical health benefits, quitting smoking also reduces stress, anxiety and depression.  

We have a responsibility to promote healthy lifestyles, prevent illness and recognise the right everyone has to breathe clean air. This means it is not permitted for anyone to smoke anywhere on any of our premises, in line with recommendations from Public Health England and The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). The recommendations state that we should make no exceptions or provision for smoking such as smoking shelters, or allow staff to escort patients off-site to smoke. 

The move to become ‘smokefree’ is proving successful, but we realise this is a big a culture change that will take time to implement fully, and we ask for your support in helping us achieve this for everyone’s benefit. 

What does our being 'smokefree' mean for you? 

  • You must not smoke on hospital grounds or any premises owned by Dorset HealthCare. 

  • If you are admitted as an inpatient to one of our wards, you are asked not to bring any tobacco related products with you. 

  • If you do wish to smoke, you must do so at least 50 metres away from the Trust site. 

  • If you are found smoking on a Trust site, you will be politely asked to put out your cigarette or move off the premises. Please respect this – anyone who becomes aggressive will be reported to the police.  

  • If you see other people smoking on one of our sites, please feel free to alert a member of staff who can ask them to stop. 

  • Vaping is permitted on Trust sites but only in outdoor areas, due to vapes setting off smoke alarms and out of respect for non-users. This decision follows evidence that in the short and medium term, vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking. 

To protect our staff from the potential harm caused by second-hand smoke, we ask that you provide a smokefree environment if they visit your home. As a minimum, please ensure the room is smokefree for an hour prior to the visit and do not smoke while they are present. 

Benefits are evident in both the short and long term. 

  • 20 minutes: Your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal 

  • 8 hours: Oxygen levels in your blood return to normal and carbon monoxide levels reduce by half 

  • 24 hours: Carbon monoxide is eliminated from your body. Your lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris 

  • 48 hours: Your ability to taste and smell improves 

  • 72 hours: Breathing becomes easier. Your bronchial tubes begin to relax and your energy levels increase 

  • 2-12 weeks: Circulation improves throughout your body, making walking and running much easier 

  • 5 years: Your heart attack risks fall to about half that of a smoker 

  • 10 years: Your risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker 

  • 15 years: Your risk of heart disease is nearly the same as someone who has never smoked 

Stopping smoking before surgery will also lead to reduced risk of complications, quicker healing, less chance of infection and possibly a shorter stay in hospital. 

If you are a smoker admitted to any of our inpatient services, you will be offered nicotine replacement therapy within 30 minutes of arrival. It is vital that you use these products correctly and in sufficient amounts for them to be effective. We have staff who are trained to help you with this. 

You may just wish to use these products to abstain from smoking for the time you are admitted. Alternatively, we would really like you to take the opportunity to quit for good. Our trained staff will be able to help you create a plan to change your habits and reduce the triggers that lead you to smoke. They will be able to offer you positive support throughout your quit attempt. 

Nicotine replacement therapy products we can provide: 

  • patches – provide a level of nicotine throughout the day, reducing cravings 

  • lozenges – are a good alternative for people who do not like gum 

  • inhalator – a small plastic cigarette that holds disposable nicotine cartridges. It provides some behavioural replacement for the hand-to-mouth action of smoking 

  • gum – delivers nicotine to the bloodstream and is absorbed by the tissues of the mouth. 

LiveWell Dorset is a free service that offers friendly, supportive guidance and advice on quitting smoking. Visit its website or Freephone 0800 8401628. 

For further information and other options of support to quit, visit the NHS quit smoking pages. 

The latest evidence demonstrates that, in the short and medium term, vaping – while not risk free – poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking. Using nicotine-containing vapes makes it much more likely someone will quit successfully than relying on willpower alone. 

Vaping devices and e-liquids should always be obtained through a reputable source to ensure they are as safe as possible and avoid use of unnecessary contents like diacetyl which can be harmful.  

In line with national guidance, vaping products can be used on Trust premises by both patients and staff, although this should be outside to avoid setting off smoke alarms.