HEALTH bosses are being forced to re-think a ban on smoking on hospital grounds in the face of defiance from some staff and patients.

Some patients have even been caught smoking in bed, while staff have had to put out small fires with jugs of water.

A smoke-free policy was introduced by Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch hospitals in 2005 – two years before the national ban on smoking in workplaces and public buildings.

But following a number of potentially dangerous incidents, the trust is thinking of reintroducing outdoor smoking shelters for patients, visitors and staff.

Karen Allman, director of human resources, told the trust’s board: “Smoking is not allowed on site. Unfortunately it has been driven underground.

“We’ve had instances of patients smoking under the bedclothes.

“We’ve had instances where fire tenders have been called out and staff have been running around pouring jugs of water on small fires.

“I’m aware of one trust where a patient died because he lit up a cigarette. He was on oxygen and went up in flames.”

A report to the meeting said a very small proportion of patients had been discovered smoking in beds, stairwells, toilets, storerooms, and other areas including courtyards and next to the oxygen store.

Some had sparked a full-scale missing persons search because they had left wards without permission to find a place to smoke.

In the last six months, a patient’s illicit smoking triggered a fire alarm at Bournemouth, and a waste bin was set alight by a discarded cigarette end at the entrance to Christchurch Hospital.

“Staff were reluctant to approach smokers for fear of violent reaction and verbal abuse.

“A minority of staff also felt that there were times when patients and visitors should be allowed to smoke,” said the report.

It revealed that trust employees had been found smoking in 21 different areas around the Bournemouth site and at least six at the Christchurch site, resulting in a build-up of debris and general litter, which itself posed a fire risk.

“Most of these areas are visible to the general public and present a poor image of the trust,” said the report. “Smoking by night staff was identified as a particular problem.”

The board heard that providing separate smoking areas for staff and patients at both hospitals would cost around £8,000.

It will also consider whether the seats outside the front of the hospital should be removed to reinforce the message that smoking would not be tolerated in the area.

The issue is to be discussed at the next governors’ meeting, but the changes could be made as early as the beginning of September.