HOSPITAL staff will be the first to be hit as Wirral Hospital Trust counts down to becoming totally smoke free.
They will be banned from smoking anywhere on the Trust's grounds from January 1.
However, smoking shelters will remain in place on Trust sites for patient and visitor use until National No Smoking Day on March 8.
After that no one, including staff, patients and visitors, will be allowed to smoke in Trust buildings or grounds, although patients will be offered nicotine replacement therapies during their stay.
Melanie Maxwell, Director of Clinical Effectiveness and chairman of the Trust's Smoke-Free Committee, said she hoped staff would set a good example for when the total ban comes into force.
She said: "Our Smoke-Free Policy aims to limit the damaging effects of passive smoking while supporting those staff and patients who wish to cut down or quit altogether.
"We sought the opinions of staff and patients in drawing up the policy and are gradually introducing the idea of smoke-free sites.
"A 20-metre smoke-free exclusion zone around all Trust buildings has been in place since the summer. We also hope that by introducing the policy early to staff, they will set a good example to visitors and patients."
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