The issue of smoking outside public hospitals in Galway was raised at the Health Forum West meeting this month once more by chairman, Padraig Conneely, who stated there were problems for smokers wanting to have a cigarette since the ban was introduced last month.
Tony Canavan, chief operating officer with HSE West, accepted there has not been 100 per cent compliance with the policy from day one, “and we never expected there to be”. However, he said, by 2015 the no smoking outside hospitals will be national policy.
“So we are ahead of that and I think it is good we are, we are a cancer centre and so it is only natural we reflect that.” Mr Canavan added that there is a designated area where patients can still smoke in the hospital which they will be entitled to use if a direction from their consultant or medical team is received requesting this.
