Cambridge: Addenbrooke's Smoking Ban Starts

1 January 2014, 06:04 | Updated: 1 January 2014, 06:08

Smoking is now banned across the whole of the Addenbrooke's Hospital site in Cambridge.

The hospital has implemented a smoking ban across the whole site to encourage staff and visitors to lead healthier lifestyles.

Up to now smokers have been able to use designated smoking areas.

However these are now being removed, with a zero tolerance policy in operation.

The ban also covers the Rosie Maternity Hospital.

Anybody caught lighting up will be 'politely and respectfully challenged'.

Additional security staff will also be patrolling the hospital grounds.

Addenbrooke's Chief Exec Doctor Keith McNeil, a heart and lung transplant physician and respiratory medicine specialist, said: "I have spent a large part of my professional life dealing with the terrible effects of smoking; deaths from cancer, emphysema and lung transplantation. 

As well as this smoking costs the NHS and society billions of pounds each year. 

As a leading healthcare organisation we should be encouraging a healthy lifestyle and smoking is not part of that. 

I know how hard it is to quit and I want to do everything I can do to support staff and patients to give up. 

It's only right and proper that we lead by example, and make Cambridge University Hospitals a smoke-free campus."