Suffolk East Primary Care Trusts' board decided on Wednesday health workers can light up out of work - as long as their shift is over.

The proposal was part of a drive to make all NHS buildings smoke-free by the end of 2006 and stop staff smoking.

Staff union Unison had warned a ban could force smokers underground, causing further health risks.

The NHS policy is about making sure environments are smoke-free Dr Brian Keeble, Suffolk East PCTs

The ban on smoking, which begins in March, will apply to staff, volunteers, patients, visitors and contractors.

Stopping Suffolk East staff smoking while they are in uniform and on duty goes further than the government directive.

On Wednesday trusts' spokesman Dr Brian Keeble said they had concluded they could not stop staff smoking when they are not on NHS premises.

"Obviously the NHS policy is about making sure environments are smoke-free and therefore it does affect staff who will not be able to smoke while on NHS premises," he said.

'Completely untenable'

"But the other part of the NHS policy is about staff being ambassadors for the public health and that's what we were thinking about very carefully - how can we help our staff be good ambassadors?

"Will smoking in your uniform when you are on duty help that or not - and the conclusion was that it wouldn't."

Responding to the plan for the ban on Tuesday, Unison spokesman Ian Talbot said the union was not against a smoking ban.

"But when staff are dictated to this in this manner it is an infringement on their civil liberties and completely untenable," he said.