By Aileen Robertson

NHS FIFE is struggling to enforce a no-smoking policy outside hospitals, with cigarette ends creating an eyesore for visitors.

One elderly man who recently visited a relative at Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline described the sight of discarded filters outside the main doors as “disgusting.”

Robert Grier (84) said, “I live near St Andrews and compared to the well- kept cottage hospital there it’s a bit of a mess.

“Queen Margaret Hospital is a beautiful place inside—I’ve visited it once or twice—but outside the main entrance is quite disgusting.”

He added, “It’s the same at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy.”

Fife Acute Hospitals operates a no-smoking policy within hospital buildings and the surrounding grounds.

But despite this people still smoke at the doors of Queen Margaret and yesterday hundreds of discarded cigarettes could be seen scattered on the ground outside.

Caroline Inwood, NHS Fife director of nursing, appealed for the public’s co-operation in tackling the problem. She said, “We do ask people to refrain from smoking at the entrance and we would ask the people of Fife to help us to do this and to support staff in their efforts to enforce the policy.

“Where people create litter we would also ask them to use the bins that are available.”

Yesterday NHS Fife stepped up its campaign to help smokers kick the habit by taking its smoking cessation campaign to Asda in Halbeath.

In conjunction with ASH Scotland, the health board is running a “buddy” project to help people trying to stop smoking. There is also a clinic at Queen Margaret offering information and advice to pregnant smokers.

Buddy project co-ordinator, Sandra McMurtrie, said, “Smoking is the biggest single cause of preventable disease in Scotland.

“Every year, 13,000 people die from tobacco related disease. We have a list of volunteers willing to help anyone who wants to quit.”

Alan McGovern, chairman of Dunfermline Local Health Care Co-operative, said, “There is a smoking cessation service in Dunfermline LHCC. Each of the seven practices has access, mostly in their own premises, to this service.

“Each client is seen on a one-to-one basis by a smoking cessation specialist and followed up by them.

“The service is thus available to every patient registered with the practices in DLHCC, and the quit rate outcomes are very good.

“Every pregnant patient in DLHCC is able to access this service.

“This is a core service with high levels of professional accountability and measures of outcome.”