Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre ‘quits’ for good

Waikato District Health Board’s mental health facility in Hamilton will be smokefree seven months ahead of schedule.

The Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre’s four adult inpatient wards will go smokefree on 31 May, World Smokefree Day.

There will be one change to the policy this year however; staff will not escort clients offsite to have a cigarette.

“If the client is not well enough to go offsite unescorted, they will be given an adequate dose of nicotine replacement therapy to help them deal with withdrawals, but they will not be taken outside,” said Waikato DHB Mental Health and Addictions Service group manager Jeff Bennett.

Waikato DHB Smokefree Hospitals’ coordinator Kate Dallas said the wards would have unlimited access to nicotine replacement therapy treatments such as gum, patches, lozenges and inhalers.

An Aukati Kaipapa (free smoking cessation service) provider is also visiting the wards once a week to provide support to clients while at HRBC, and when discharged.

“We have communicated the date to the Waikato primary health organisations and community mental health services, and asked them to prepare their clients for the change to smokefree,” said Ms Dallas.

Health Waikato hospitals went smokefree for staff and visitors in 2004 and for patients on 1 January 2006.

The change to bring Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre in line on 31 May can only be a good thing for its consumers and staff, says Mr Bennett.

Date: 24 May 2010

ENDS