Patients compelled to stop smoking must have a high level of intervention and support when they leave Wakari Hospital, Southern District Health Board member Richard Thomson says.
Mr Thomson was speaking at yesterday's board meeting in Oamaru, at which his was the only vote opposed to banning locked-in patients from smoking.
The board endorsed the hospital advisory committee's decision from the previous day to remove the exemption some Wakari Hospital patients have had for the past three years.
Mr Thomson said he wanted greater assurance those leaving hospital would be well supported.
He said there was very little evidence to show temporary smoking bans helped people kick the habit permanently, but there was a greater chance if people were intensively monitored.
He was not satisfied with the level of support outlined by staff at Wednesday's hospital advisory committee.
He also pointed out that for some, a stay in hospital was not short term, and the board was effectively telling patients they could not smoke in their own home, Mr Thomson said.
Chief executive Carole Heatly said she would speak to staff about what level of support could be provided to patients once they were discharged.
A $9.039 million deficit in 2013-14 has been approved for the Southern District Health Board against revenue of more than $862 million.
The annual plan has been signed off by the National Health Board but is subject to Health Minister Tony Ryall's approval.
Year-end budget figures were accidentally printed in this week's health board financial reports.
Board member Tim Ward pointed out the mistake during yesterday's board meeting in Oamaru.
Chairman Joe Butterfield said: ''Let's not draw [Mr Ryall's] attention to the fact we've breached the rules.''
The deficit amount has been signalled in planning documents previously.
