Health and Care Bill: hospital food
Updated 10 March 2022
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This fact sheet explains how the Bill will confer a power on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care powers to make regulations to impose national requirements for food or drink across the NHS.
Background
In the summer of 2019, there was an outbreak of listeriosis in which 7 patients tragically died after eating hospital sandwiches contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Following this, the then Secretary of State for Health announced a ‘root and branch’ review of food served and sold in hospitals. The scope of the review included the safety, nutrition, quality and production methods of food for patients, staff and visitors in NHS hospitals.
The Independent review of NHS hospital food – published on 26 October 2020 – made a series of recommendations across a range of areas to improve standards for food served to patients and staff, including:
- catering staff support
- nutrition and hydration
- food safety
- facilities
- technology
- enforcing standards
- sustainability and waste
As well as recommendations in the above areas, the hospital food review recommended that improved NHS food and drink standards for patients, staff and visitors should be put on a statutory footing to ensure a level playing field and compliance across the sector so far as nutritional standards in hospitals are concerned.
The government is implementing the recommendations of the Review through the establishment of an expert group of NHS caterers, dieticians and nurses. The expert group with take forward the recommendations and decide on next steps.
What the Bill will do
The Bill will confer on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care a power to make secondary legislation imposing requirements about food or drink in hospitals across the NHS. If required, the regulations may, for example, specify nutritional requirements or standards, and food or drink which should or should not be provided.
This is in line the recommendations from the Independent review of NHS hospital food.
How these provisions help improve public confidence
Granting the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care powers to require compliance with national standards for food or drink across the NHS sends a clear message that hospital food is a priority for the government, encouraging adherence.