Ananova:

Dying patients spending their final days in a hospice have decided to return home after being banned from smoking.

When public smoking was banned in July, hospices had the option to retain some smoking bedrooms, reports the York Press.

But St Leonard's Hospice, in Tadcaster Road, York, opted to enforce the blanket ban - prompting a number of patients to return home.

Doctors and campaigners said they were outraged by the decision and called for the hospice's trustees to rethink the policy.

Dr Brian McGregor, vice chairman of the York Local Medical Committee, said: "The physician in me would never want to encourage smoking, but for somebody for whom medicine has failed, I can't see the logic in banning it.

"They are bed-bound, they are not able to enjoy food and drink and smoking is one of the few pleasures they have left.

"Smoking will not make any impact on their health now and I don't think we should be making them more unhappy by banning it."

But a spokesman for St Leonard's Hospice said the hospice had decided to impose the ban following lengthy consultations with staff, patients, visitors, service users and external organisations.

He said: "The decision was not made lightly but, as a healthcare organisation, we felt it appropriate to embrace the legislation.

"We are confident that our staff, patients and visitors will appreciate the change and will support us in its implementation."