Health body ‘flouting law’ over smoking in hospital

A TRADE union official last night stood over his claim that the Health Services Executive (HSE), southern area, was flouting the law by allowing smoking in a hospital unit for which it is responsible.

SIPTU nursing branch secretary in Kerry, Donie Doody, called for a complete ban on smoking in the 50-bed psychiatric unit attached to Kerry General Hospital, Tralee, to protect the health of patients and staff.

“We believe psychiatric patients in the unit should not be treated differently to other patients in other wards in the hospital where smoking has been prohibited,” he said. But the HSE maintained the ban does not apply to the unit because of a law that predates the year-old smoking ban.