Sir - Firstly I admit I am a "reformed" smoker - the worst kind of anti-smoker!

However, I see that Worcester Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is to ban smoking in any part of its hospital grounds from 17th June 2015.

Has this decision been taken to help smokers give up or is it just an empty gesture just to show disapproval of smoking?

I rather think the latter - patients (and their families/friends) who are already in a stressful situation are going to now be more stressed because they are missing their nicotine hit!

Can we expect more trouble in A&E when those already drunk are deprived of their smokes? How is it to be policed - what about people sat in their own cars in the hospital car parks?

The whole exercise strikes me as the continuing bullying actions against smokers - by all means continue to promote the benefits of not smoking, but as the country continues to rake in tax receipts from the smokers, perhaps gentle persuasion would be more effective than blanket bans?

John Carnie

Worcester