A DECISION by health bosses to spend £18,000 providing smoking shelters in the grounds of Burnley General Hospital was today slammed as disgraceful by a patient-care watchdog.

But today a hospital spokesman said health bosses had tried to take a reasonable stance on smoking while a review of their blanket ban was taking place.

And Burnley MP Peter Pike said the ban had caused a lot of friction and the Trust had to make compromises if it wanted to keep staff.

Community Health Council chairman Frank Clifford told Health Trust directors he was horrified to see the Trust actively encouraging smoking by providing the six bus stop-style shelters outside life-saving units at the hospital.

He said the cash would be better spent on the hospital's cash-strapped "stop smoking" department, rather than making Burnley General the first East Lancashire hospital to provide smoking cabins for use by staff, visitors and patients. And he described as "an affront" the decision to press ahead erecting the shelters -- which have seating and ashtrays -- at a time a trust No Smoking Group, of which he was a member, was carrying out a total review of the hospital's smoking policy.

Coun Clifford said he was horrified and incensed when he first saw one of the shelters which are labelled "smoking area".

He had asked for no more to be erected in view of the review taking place, but said the trust appeared to have ignored the call and two more had been put up.

Trust chairman Brian Foster said that if the review group -- which is due to report shortly -- advised the shelters should be pulled down, the board would be bound to think again.

The Health Trust imposed a blanket ban on all hospital property smoking seven years' ago but have since relaxed it in some areas, such as the psychiatric unit. Coun Clifford said later: "Smoking kills and damages the health of millions of people.

"The hospital should not be encouraging it in any way."

Today a spokesman for Burnley General said that whilst understanding Coun Clifford's view trust had taken a pragmatic stance while increasing its determination to advise everyone not to smoke.

Burnley MP Peter Pike said: "I think this is a reasonable compromise. I have to say that the no smoking policy has caused a lot of friction with some patients and staff. Indeed, they have been gathering around doors and other places to smoke.

"I think the Trust is trying to strike a reasonable balance. I think they probably had no choice. Some staff were saying it was an infringement of their civil liberties and human rights.

"I have sympathy with Frank Clifford's view but we don't live in an ideal world. Some people still smoke and if the Trust wants to keep staff it has to make compromises."