HSE rejects call for smoking ban in psychiatric units

SIPTU yesterday called for a total ban on smoking in two psychiatric units attached to general hospitals in Cork city.

However, the Health Services Executive (HSE) Southern Area claimed the smoking ban does not apply to units at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) and Cork University Hospital (CUH) under an older law.

The HSE has rejected a SIPTU call for a smoking ban in a psychiatric unit at Kerry General Hospital, Tralee, citing a law from 2002 which designated the unit as a district mental hospital and makes it exempt from the ban.

“The same statutory instrument applies to the units in Cork,” a HSE spokesperson said yesterday.

But Cork-based SIPTU health services official Ben Weathers disagreed, saying he was unaware of any such statutory instrument regarding the Cork units.

“I certainly feel smoking should be banned in these units to protect the health of patients and staff. The law which bans smoking in psychiatric units attached to such hospitals is quite clear. Smoking is permitted in mental hospitals, but not in psychiatric units attached to other hospitals,” he said.

He said smoking was allowed in a totally unsuitable room with inadequate air extraction facilities at the 50-bed MUH unit, where 14 nursing staff work.

Mr Weathers said the 46-bed CUH unit had a smoking area outside, but that smoking continued in the visitors’ room.

“It’s rather strange that people (HSE) who are supposed to be enforcing the smoking ban are allowing smoking in their own premises,” he said.

SIPTU national nursing official Oliver McDonagh said the only complaint the union had received in regard to smoking in such units was about Tralee.