I WROTE to the chief executive, Lorene Read on the same subject last May. In her reply she stated that a designated executive lead (sic) does regular inspection tours with maintenance staff to assess ongoing risk areas .

I WROTE to the chief executive, Lorene Read on the same subject last May. In her reply she stated that 'a designated executive lead (sic) does regular inspection tours with maintenance staff to assess ongoing risk areas'.

Clearly, whatever anti-smoking measures that were introduced are still widely disregarded by patients and visitors. Despite the hospital's website declaring that 'smoking is not permitted in either the buildings or the grounds' and that 'there are no exceptions for staff, patients, contractors or visitors' it is unacceptable that nothing seems to have changed in more than a year.

By not taking active steps to ban all smoking on the hospital site, the management appears to condone the practice - hardly appropriate, given the cost of the habit on our NHS.

How hard can it be to stop antisocial smoking? Buses and trains, airlines and airports, shops, factories, offices and taxis have all dealt with this problem, so why not a hospital?

IAN PITCH

Church Road, Winscombe