PATIENTS and staff at Kidder-minster Hospital are having to "run a toxic gauntlet" because of smokers lighting up outside the entrance doors.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust provides shelters for anyone wishing to smoke outside its three sites but chief executive, John Rostill, said they were being ignored by some "selfish smokers".

Around 200 members of staff at the hospitals in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester have now signed up to be "Smoking Relocators" and will help spread the message to colleagues and visitors about the need to limit smoking to appropriate areas.

Mr Rostill said: "These sites are well used by many of our patients, visitors and staff, who find it necessary to smoke while they are on site.

"Unfortunately, there is also a significant proportion of selfish smokers whose craving is so strong that they light up right outside the doors.

"Anyone else coming in or going out has to run a toxic gauntlet. We want all smokers to know that if they cannot confine themselves to the shelters, we will have no choice but to ban smoking from all our sites altogether," added Mr Rostill.