Hywel Dda University Health Board is asking the public to tell them how they feel about staff and the public lighting up on their hospital sites.

The survey, which asks 12 questions and takes around five to 10 minutes to complete, will help inform the Health Board’s Smoke Free policy when it is reviewed in the coming months.

Director of Public Health for Hywel Dda University Health Board, Teresa Owen, said: “We have asked our staff about how they think we can encourage smokers not to smoke on our hospital sites, and now we’re asking for the public’s opinion.

“We’re very proud that since July 2012 all University Health Board sites have been formally designated as smoke free, in line with Welsh Government’s requirement for us to promote public health, but, while the majority of staff, patients and visitors to our sites respect this policy, some people continue to smoke on-site.

“We recently introduced audio systems at all four of our acute hospital sites, which enable onlookers to anonymously push a red button which triggers a PA message that reminds smokers that it is a smoke free site and asks them to extinguish their cigarette.

“The feedback we had for this project was extremely positive, so now we want to know how the public think we can build on this work.”

You can take part in the survey by visiting surveymonkey.co.uk, or if you would like a hard copy, contact Sonja Anderson, PA to the Director of Public Health, by email Sonja.Anderson@wales.nhs.uk or by telephone: 01267 239711. The survey will close on September 23.