University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) NHS Trust officially became smoke-free on April 1 – with smoking no longer permitted anywhere at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and Stafford County Hospital sites.

But UHNM chief executive Simon Constable admitted that a week into the ban people are still smoking on the hospital grounds, and that there would need to be a 'transition' period.

He told a board meeting that the trust would monitor the prevalence of smoking on the sites in the coming weeks and adjust its approach accordingly.

Dr Constable says the smoking ban is a 'clear signal of our commitment' to creating a healthier environment for patients, staff and visitors. Vaping is still permitted at UHNM within designated shelters.

Dr Constable said: "It's been a soft landing with going smoke-free. I think if we were going to do this right we needed to do it gently and with a transition, and not be draconian about it.

"It's fair to say that people are continuing to smoke on-site but that is reducing, and we're working on that.

"We continue to allow vaping in designated areas, as a tool to assist smokers in weaning themselves off tobacco. I think it's recognised that with a site this big it's very hard to do this is any other way than gently."

UHNM is offering staff looking to quit smoking access to free, confidential support through its tobacco dependency team.

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Dr Constable added: "I want to thank everyone for the understanding and kindness I know will be shown to one another, to patients and to visitors as we embed this change.

"By working together, we can make this a positive step forward and create a healthier, cleaner and more welcoming environment for everyone who comes onto our sites."