Patients and visitors to Glasgow's hospitals will now be permitted to use e-cigarettes following a change in policy.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde currently prohibits the use of the nicotine delivery devices as part of a wider ban on smoking on NHS grounds.

However, the board is to revise its policy following new research about e-cigarettes which found that they are 95% less harmful than smoking.

The health board will now identify specific areas within grounds where e-cigarettes will be permitted.

It said a lifting of the ban would also improve consistency because there NHS cessation services operate an "e-cigarette friendly" approach.

Currently in Scotland only NHS Lothian permits the use of e-cigarettes in designated areas but a number of other boards are now reviewing their policies in light of the research.

The report by Public Health England is the most comprehensive study of the products to date.

It concluded that there is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes act as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers.

Dr Emilia Crighton, NHS GGC Director of Public Health, said: “I welcome the Board’s decision to approve the use of e-cigarettes in specific areas within our grounds.

“It is clear from research carried out by Public Health England, ourselves and others that e-cigarettes do have their place in the fight against tobacco and are being used effectively to help people stop smoking altogether.

“In NHSGGC we have carried out our own research which has revealed that some 32 per cent of smokers in our health board area intend to use e-cigarettes in their next quit attempt and that 18 per cent of recent ex-smokers used them to help give up tobacco in the past 12 months.

“It is therefore very important that we organise our services to ensure that that we can safely and effectively manage the use e-cigarettes as part of suite of services to help people give up tobacco.”

The review also called for action by all smoking cessation services to support smokers who are trying to quit with the use of e-cigarettes.

Research carried out by the board showed that 32% of smokers had plans to use an e-cigarette during their next quit attempt.

Almost a fifth had used them to stop smoking in the last 12 months.

The board said there was also an "opportunity" for e-cigarettes to be used to help tackle high smoking rates amongst patients with mental health problems. Cigarette smoking was permitted at units until very recently.

Although second-hand vapour produced by the devices can contain nicotine, several studies have shown that levels are the air are negligible with no identified risks to bystanders.

A report by NHSGGC states: "This review of evidence asserts that a harm reduction approach is the most appropriate strategy going forward.

"If e-cigarette use was permitted within hospital grounds, inpatients being supported by acute and mental health smokefree services could proactively support use of e-cigarettes as part of their quit attempts.

"Based on the emergence of new evidence, a review of the NHSGGC Smoke Free Policy position on e-cigarettes is timely and would improve consistency between the use of e-cigarettes within NHS grounds and the e-cig friendly approach being recommended for cessation services."

The board has operated a smoke-free policy since 2007.