SMOKING shelters for patients, visitors and staff have been reintroduced at the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals.

Trust managers were forced into the U-turn because of safety issues around the number of people defying the five-year-old smoke-free policy.

As the Daily Echo reported in June, some patients had been caught smoking under the bedclothes, in stairwells, toilets, storerooms, courtyards and even next to the oxygen store. The fire service had been called out and staff had put out small fires with jugs of water.

Employees had been caught smoking in 21 areas around the Bournemouth site and six at Christchurch, leading to a build-up of debris and litter.

Smoking continues to be banned inside the hospitals. In the grounds, it is now restricted to newly-designated smoking areas or shelters.

The six areas at Bournemouth include the edge of the car park opposite the main entrance and the edge of the car park outside the emergency department.

At Christchurch, patients can smoke under supervision in the ward gardens and a smoking shelter has been provided in the car park behind the hospital. There is also a new smoking area at the trust’s sterile services unit at Alderney in Poole.

Staff at all three sites have been warned they face disciplinary action if they are caught smoking outside designated areas.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “The board agreed, reluctantly, to implement smoking areas as a way of minimising the risk of illicit smoking within our hospitals.

“The trust does not endorse or support smoking in any way.

“We have a health campaign in place, which includes working with SmokeStop services to educate staff and patients about the dangers of smoking and related illness.

“We are also promoting healthy living – for example, encouraging staff to take walks at lunchtime.

“The trust will monitor the impact of the policy, and if it is felt to be not working, it will be reviewed.”