E-cigarettes allowed on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde sites

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is now allowing restricted use of e-cigarettes in hospital grounds

Electronic cigarettes can now be used within the grounds of hospitals run by Scotland's largest health board.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde decided back in December to allow restricted use of the devices after new evidence that they help tackle tobacco smoking.

The previous ban was lifted on Tuesday.

Tobacco smoking was banned across all health grounds in Scotland in April last year, but health boards were given discretion over the use of vaping devices outside buildings.

NHS Lothian was the only one of the 13 health boards at the time to allow restricted use of e-cigarettes.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) followed later.

Dr Emilia Crighton, NHS GGC's director of public health, said: "Tobacco is still the most common preventable cause of death in Scotland with smoking to blame for around a quarter of all deaths.

"We're now allowing e-cigarettes on our grounds to give our patients, staff and visitors more choice in how they quit smoking.

"We have seen the percentage of people who smoke fall from 37.5% to 25% over the last 10 years. I believe allowing e-cigarette use is the next tool in that fight and it will play a role in reducing that figure even more."