The Hospital Food Standards Panel, of which RSPH is a member, launches new set of standards for hospital food.

Hospitals have a responsibility to provide the highest level of care possible for their patients and this includes the quality and nutritional value of food that is served and eaten.

For the first time, the NHS will have a set of required food standards, and hospitals will be ranked on the quality of their food. This is part of wider measures to raise healthcare standards and care across the country.

The Hospital Food Standards Panel, chaired by Dianne Jeffrey from Age UK, recommends five mandatory food standards, in its report published today. These standards will be legally binding within the NHS Standard Contract. The panel, comprising a range of organisations including RSPH, royal colleges and nutritional experts, also recommends that all hospitals develop a hospital food policy. Their policy should include healthier eating for the whole hospital community, and sustainability including procurement and food waste management and excellent food and drink for patients.

Complementing the new standards, is information ranking the quality of hospital food published on NHS Choices for the first time. This data shows how each hospital performs on:

• Quality of food
• Choice of food
• Menu approved by a dietician
• Fresh fruit always available
• Food available between meals
• Choice at breakfast
• Cost of food services per patient per day

Food is a critical part of a hospital experience. It needs to be nutritious, appetising and accessible to patients, visitors and NHS staff. It also needs to be clinically appropriate and everyone who needs help to eat and drink should get the right support.

Hospitals who do not follow the guidance recommended by the panel will be in breach of their commissioning contract. The Care Quality Commission will use the patient-led inspection data to spot potential problems with food and determine which hospitals needs closer inspection of their food practices.