A TOTAL smoking ban came into force at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro this week with staff and patients now not allowed to enjoy a cigarette either in the building or the grounds - including the car-park.

From January, 1 hospitals controlled by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust became smoke-free zones. Smoking has been banned inside hospital buildings for years but the tough new measures mean that staff, patients and visitors won't even be able to pop out outside for a cigarette.

A smoke-free policy was originally announced after its adoption at a public trust board meeting in the summer.

A high profile awareness campaign has now been launched in all of the hospitals and patients coming in for planned treatments and surgery will receive reminders and information with their appointment letters.

This will include advice on seeking help from their GP or the community based Stop Smoking Service who can help to prepare them for their stay.

The move has been welcomed by doctors and health professionals at the hospital and comes only a few months before the national ban on smoking in public places which comes into force next July. "The ground swell of public opinion has for a long time been in support of smoking bans and it is only right that the NHS should be promoting healthy lifestyles. As everyone knows, smoking is a major cause of lung disease, heart disease, cancer and death in the UK and clearly we are keen to play our part in helping to reduce the numbers of people smoking," said hospital spokesman Laura Mason.

As part of its policy, the trust will be offering advice and support to patients and staff with the help of the Cornwall Stop Smoking Service. For staff this includes the offer a starter course of free nicotine replacement therapy as well as group and individual sessions to help them stop smoking or change their habits so that they don't need to smoke whilst at work.

Mrs Mason said: "Whilst our primary aim will be to help patients stop smoking, those who experience particular discomfort as a result of not being able to smoke will be able to ask their ward staff for appropriate help during their hospital stay. We are also sympathetic to genuinely exceptional circumstances and will allow some flexibility, as we have always done, in these cases."

One of the biggest challenges for any hospital introducing a smoking ban is how to make sure that everyone sticks to it and that it doesn't encourage people to smoke in hidden places that could present a safety risk. "The experience of many hospitals has been that the vast majority of smokers are happy to respect the ban. We certainly hope this will be the case for us and we'll be looking for the support of our staff and members of the public in politely asking individuals they find smoking to put out their cigarette."

Meanwhile the new chief executive in charge of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust has taken up his post. John Watkinson, former chief executive of Bromley NHS Trust, has replaced Brian Milstead who resigned in June.

Mr Watkinson now has the task of reducing the trust's £31m debt by trying to cut the predicted overspend including the loss of 300 jobs.