Hospitals: Food

(asked on 19th February 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of hospitals in England which have (1) food outlets, and (2) vending machine providers, which sell junk food; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such food being sold on (a) patient, and (b) staff health.


This question was answered on 5th March 2019

Data is not collected centrally on the average cost of staff meals, the number of hospitals which provide a cooked meal to staff during the night or how much vending machines providers pay for the right to be situated in hospital lobbies.

Information is not held on the number of hospitals which have food outlets and vending machine providers which sell junk food and there has not been any specific assessment of the impact of junk food sold in hospitals on patient or staff health.

The Department collects data from National Health Service trusts for the total ‘inpatient food service cost’ and ‘inpatient main meals requested’ which gives the national average of cost per patient main meal of £4.20 for 2017-18. The cost is inclusive of all pay and non-pay costs, including provisions, ward issues, disposables, equipment and its maintenance.

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