Smoke-free and fire safety

We are a smoke-free Trust

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) is completely smoke-free across all of its sites and buildings. This means smoking is not allowed anywhere on our hospital and community sites, including the grounds and gardens. We don’t allow smoking because we believe it helps us to improve the health and wellbeing of the people who use our services, as well as our staff and visitors.

Why are we smoke-free?

Smoking is the main cause of preventable illness and premature death in England. It causes a wide range of respiratory diseases, such as coronary heart disease. People who experience a mental health illness are a particularly high risk group and have a reduced life expectancy of around 10-20 years.

We don’t allow smoking in our sites because we want to ensure that we provide a healthy environment for our patients, staff and visitors. In addition, we also want to provide you with help and support to stop smoking or provide healthier alternatives, should you wish to do so.

A note about fire safety…
We also want to provide a safe environment for everybody and minimise the risk of accidental fire within our premises. “Don’t think of it as quitting; think of it, as gaining”.

What this means for you if you need admission

As a Trust, we recognise that it can be difficult to stop smoking and we want to make sure there is support available for anyone who wishes to quit to make a positive change for their future.

For those who do not wish to give up, help is available to combat nicotine cravings while on our premises and in our care. On admission to inpatient wards, all patients will be advised about the Smoke-free Policy.

On admission

All matches, lighters and tobacco are to be handed in to ward staff whilst you are on the ward. This is to support our smoke-free policy and is also essential to reduce the risk of fire.

During your stay in hospital, should you haveany leave, you can request and sign out your tobacco and lighter. On returning back to the ward, your lighter and tobacco must then be signed back in by staff. They may ask to search you or your property if we feel that you are concealing anything that may harm yourself or others. Our ward staff will explain the process before undertaking the search.

NRT treatment

Within 30 minutes of admission you will be offered NRT (Nicotine Replacement Treatment), in the form of patches, inhalator, tablets or lozenge. Trained stop-smoking cessation advisors will be available on all inpatient wards to provide support and practical help for you.

Use of E-cigs/vapes

The latest information from Public Health England is that vaping is 95% safer than smoking tobacco. Vapes and e-cigarettes are permitted to use within garden areas and hospital grounds. Chargers and liquids should be handed in to nursing staff.

When you stop smoking

• Within 20 minutes your blood pressure improves.
• Lung capacity improves by up to 10%
• Stopping smoking gives you more energy
• Your smell and taste senses will improve
• Within 2-12 weeks of stopping smoking, your blood circulation improves. This makes all physical activity, including walking and running, much easier.
• You will also give a boost to your immune system, making it easier to fight off colds and flu. The increase of oxygen in the body can also reduce tiredness and the likelihood of headaches.

Community Smoking Cessation Services

CAMQUIT
T 0333 005 0093
E healthyou@healthyyou.org.uk
A referral form can be accessed online here: http://www.camquit.nhs.uk/

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Stop Smoking Services: Cambridgeshire And Peterborough Stop Smoking Service