'NHS Tayside is paying the council £20,000 to provide the service.' At a time when NHS Tayside must lay off personnel, it can afford £20,000 to pay for enforcement of the national law. It has managed to fine 5 staff members for standing in bus shelters smoking (including one featured two weeks ago because she was on call and was not allowed to leave the site), and six people including two staff for littering.
Of course NHS Tayside should have priorities other than bringing in enforcement officers to prosecute their own staff and public. But if staff cuts were not an issue, isn't there something sinister about a health board hiring law enforcers from the council? Law enforcement is not a health board remit. It's the council's job. Health board money shouldn't be paying for it.
Raigmore Hospital (Inverness) doesn't seem to be having much luck enforcing its policy either. Perhaps they'll hire some council enforcers as well.
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These ENFORCERS powers are limited to the laws relating to litter and smoking in enclosed places as defined in the Smoking,Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005.
THEY CAN NOT PREVENT SMOKING OUTDOORS IN THE HOSPITAL GROUNDS.
The article is actually clear on this, it says, 'However, [the enforcers] can only operate within the law and have no powers to fine people for simply smoking in the open air.'
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