Healthy eating on the menu for hospital staff

The project, which is being delivered by Heart of Mersey, the cardiovascular disease prevention charity based in Liverpool and local primary care trusts, aims to encourage healthy eating across ten participating NHS Hospital Trusts in the region, with the potential to positively impact upon the health of more than 30,000 hospital staff. This new hospital catering project is the only initiative of its type anywhere in the UK, and will focus entirely on improving nutrition and healthy eating among NHS employees. Between September and December 2008, the project will deliver a three month campaign under a new umbrella 'Nourish' brand' to help hospital caterers promote the availability and health benefits of healthier food options to hospital staff. It will also provide practical training workshops around nutrition for catering staff, linked to the Food Standard Agency's nutrition priorities for 2008/9. Robin Ireland, Chief Executive at Heart of Mersey, explains: "As one of the largest employers in the UK, the NHS should be leading the way in promoting healthy eating among its employees. There has already been a significant focus upon how patient food can affect clinical outcomes, and rightly so, but the importance of a healthier diet for a healthier workforce, able to deliver the highest possible standard of patient care, has been largely overlooked. We are hoping that this project will go some way in re-addressing that imbalance." Healthcare Commission, Area Manager, Gale Stirling adds: "I think the Cheshire & Merseyside Hospital Food Project is an outstanding example of successful collaborative working between hospitals, and serves to highlight how employers can take positive action in supporting healthier lifestyles among staff. This is an innovative project and hope that it helps to encourage healthier eating, providing a lasting legacy of improved health amongst Trusts' employees."