PATIENTS clad in dressing gowns and drawing heavily on a cigarette outside the entrance of the John Radcliffe hospital will be a familiar sight to many.

But it will soon be a thing of the past if hospital bosses get their way.

The Oxford University Hospitals Trust (OUH) has updated its no-smoking policy across all three hospital sites, after patients and visitors have been found to continually flout the rules.

Over the past few years hospital staff have admitted the rules have not always been enforced strictly for patients. But now any patients found smoking on the hospital site, including all doorways, buildings, grounds and car parks, will be instructed to return to their ward.

They will also be offered advice and told where they can get help with kicking the habit.

Over the past three weeks, there has been a health bus at all four hospital sites to offer advice to patients, and staff, who have been seen smoking.

Larger no smoking signs have been placed around the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals and the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, and at Banbury’s Horton Hospital, in time for today’s No Smoking Day.

Fiona Singleton is the hospital smoking cessation specialist for the Oxfordshire Smoking Advice Service.

She works with patients and staff who want help to quit and can refer people for nicotine replacement therapy. She said: “We have had some really successful visits to the health bus on all hospital sites where we have been approached by staff for themselves, and for their patients.

“Additionally I have spoken with visitors, patients and contractors on site, all wanting to kick the habit and who have gone away with help and advice on how best to give up.”

Staff can also get help through their occupational health department.

The OUH said it did not record how many patients or staff had been caught smoking on site, but it said if trust workers repeatedly breached the ban it would result in disciplinary procedures being followed.

Last week the Oxford Mail revealed patients waiting for routine surgery were being told to stop smoking before they go under the knife. The new policy in Oxfordshire means doctors must enrol patients in stop smoking classes while they are waiting for surgery.

Although patients are forced to enrol in the stop smoking classes, health bosses said they would not turn people away from surgery if they did not comply, unless the patient was deemed at risk.

We also revealed that obese people awaiting surgery were being told to lose weight before their own procedures.

To mark National No Smoking Day Oxford Health, the community health trust, has given people tips and hints on giving up.

It includes picking a quit day that will be stress-free, seeking advice from an NHS stop smoking adviser and enlisting the support of family and friends.