THE trust which runs the borough's hospitals is backing a plea for all hospital buildings and grounds to become smoke-free.

The Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust introduced a smoking ban on all its sites 10 years ago, but many hospitals still have smoking areas.

Last week Public Health England (PHE) chief executive Duncan Selbie wrote to every NHS trust asking them to implement a ban on smoking by patients, staff and visitors across all hospital buildings and grounds.

Mary Fleming, director of operations and performance at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the borough's hospitals, said: “We introduced a smoking ban on all our sites in 2006, and in 2010 we went completely smoke-free.

"We were able to achieve this by encouraging our staff to set a personal example by not smoking on site and also asked them to help and support patients and colleagues who wish to give up smoking.

"The active involvement of all our staff and our executive team being totally behind this was crucial in ensuring that we were successful in becoming totally smoke-free.

"We want to be at the forefront of preventing illness, and being smoke-free is an important part of this."

Mr Selbie's letter last week said: “I am asking for your help to reach smokers who are in your hospital waiting rooms, consulting rooms and beds.

“By working together I believe we can make the NHS a place which provides a supportive tobacco-free environment for patients, staff and visitors."