A HOSPITAL trust has announced tighter restrictions on smoking by staff or patients in or around its hospitals in County Durham.

County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals Trust announced the changes yesterday in response to complaints from staff and visitors about smokers congregating around the entrances of hospitals.

Trust director of estates and facilities Kevin Oxley said: "Complaints centre around the 'haze of smoke' which non-smokers are having to walk through to enter our buildings, cigarette ends littering the entrances and gatherings of smokers creating a poor impression outside our front door."

Smoking is not allowed inside any of the trust's hospitals with the exception of one staff smoking room at Darlington Memorial Hospital. The trust is planning to close the smoking room and extend the ban to the grounds of all of its hospitals by April 2005.

The only places where people will be able to smoke are in smoking shelters outside the main entrances.

Meanwhile, staff from Durham Dales Primary Care Trust handed out free gift-wrapped nicotine replacement therapy to smokers in Chimney's restaurant at Bishop Auckland Hospital yesterday.

The trust says that research has shown that the therapy can make it easier for people to stay away from smoking.

Advisor Dawn Hull said: "This is the perfect opportunity for us to offer advice and help to people who may be considering trying to give up smoking over the Christmas period.

"Giving up smoking reduces the chances of serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer."