If you light up a cigarette in the grounds of Nevill Hall or the Grange University Hospital, you will probably end up having a chat with one of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s Smoke-Free Enforcement Officers, Matt Lloyd. His job is to patrol the hospital grounds, speak with smokers and ask them to stub out their cigarettes or move outside the hospital grounds. When the Public Health (Wales) Act comes into force on 1st March 2021, he will be reminding people that it is illegal to smoke on hospital grounds and they could be faced with an on the spot fine of £100. We caught up with Matt to find out more about his job and why he is on a mission to help smokers to quit.
I love my job and it really keeps me on my feet. No day is the same and I never know what reaction I’m going to get from smokers when I approach them.
There are lots of different places where staff, patients and visitors can tuck themselves away for a smoke on the hospital grounds and dealing with that is a constant battle.
The smoke gets through the vents of the hospital windows and it can have a damaging effect on patients. A hospital is a place where people come to get better
and patients suffering from asthma and heart conditions really should not have to be exposed to other people’s smoke. There are also lots of ex-smokers coming in. Walking into the hospital through a cloud of smoke could be the trigger that gets them smoking again.
Dealing with the daily situation is very challenging, particularly at the moment. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, visitors can’t go into the hospital, so they drop their relative outside and have a smoke while they wait. Meanwhile, staff are under immense pressure, some of them go outside for a break and take the opportunity to have a cigarette. If they are willing to have a chat, I will discuss other options for stress relief and remind them that breaking the policy is a disciplinary offence.
People come to the hospital with serious medical problems and visitors can be pretty stressed and emotional. I make a point of always approaching people with a smile and trying to be as helpful as I can. I explain why we have this smoke-free policy and I talk to them about second-hand smoke and how it affects other people. About 90% of people do move on and I always try to leave them with a smile as well.
If somebody refuses to stop smoking, I talk to them again about why we have the policy and the law that is soon to be introduced. If it’s a patient I can contact their ward manager who can offer them Nicotine Replacement Therapy to help with cravings. It is everybody’s responsibility to support the smoke-free policy and up-coming law to make sure we offer our staff, patients and visitors a positive experience when using our NHS services.
When I approach someone who is smoking, it’s a great opportunity for me to encourage them to quit smoking by contacting Help Me Quit or taking up the help that’s available within the hospital including free nicotine replacement therapy. I always hand out Help Me Quit leaflets and regularly set up a stall in the hospital lobby with information about quitting for those who want to take the opportunity.
The new law coming into force on March 1st will mean that we can hand out £100 fines. That’s a steep penalty and I think it will encourage people to respect the rules a lot more. There will of course be people who don’t comply but I’m hoping it will encourage more people to think about where they smoke and how it is affecting others.
The Health Board is also installing loudspeakers at the main entrances to both hospitals, that alert smokers that they shouldn’t be smoking here. Anybody can press the button if they see a smoker, which will be a big help in keeping the hospital smoke-free and will give people the confidence to challenge smokers.
I really enjoy the challenges this job brings and that fact that no day is the same. You never know what reaction you’re going to get from person to person. It keeps me on my feet. I don’t just talk to people about smoking, I’ve had patients telling me their life stories and supported staff in times of stress.
Even though I’m there to enforce the policy, I want to be a friendly face so that people feel they can come to me for advice and if they do want to quit, I can offer information about where they can get professional help.
