HEALTH bosses could make smoking on hospital grounds illegal - if they get backing from the public.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran are currently looking for the public’s views on the introduction of a legally enforceable smoking ban around hospital buildings.

This follows the Scottish Government’s public consultation which was published in October and would make it an offence to smoke within a specific distance around a hospital building.

A smoke-free perimeter would ensure that people who are unwell and whose health is vulnerable while they are recovering in hospital would be protected from the harm that toxic smoke drifting through windows, doorways and ventilation systems could cause.

The Scottish Parliament has already passed legislation to establish no-smoking areas outside hospital buildings and to make it an offence to smoke there.

However, in order for penalties to be imposed, three important issues have still to be determined.

They will gather comments and submit them to the Scottish Government for consideration and will then use the guidance, which will be produced by Scottish Government, to refresh their current smoke Free Grounds Policy.