Chairman of the Hospital Caterers’ Association Andy Jones says he has written to his members following the report.
“Each Trust should have its own policy on nutrition and hydration which will cover staff and visitor feeding and include vending.
“If Trusts have not got a policy in place, I have written to all members asking them to lead on this and ensure a review is carried out on the policy, or that one is put in place.
“We need to ensure that the balance is correct between healthy and nutritional products and others, but at the moment it is very much down to personal choice.”
He called on the Government to work with the HCA, Trusts, dietitians and patients groups to make sure all policies to promote eating for health in the public sector were consistent and regulated.
“This is part of a much wider agenda promoted by the industry’s PS100 group that is seeking Government back for food standards and protected mealtimes to encourage eating for health.”
The WCRF survey concluded that hospital vending machines in England contain too many high-calorie snacks and that guidelines should be introduced to make them healthier.
It found that 73% of English health trusts do not have a policy on the food sold in their vending machines, though Welsh and Scottish governments introduced guidelines in 2008.
These guidelines recommend machines are stocked with at least 30% ‘healthier choice’ products.
The WCRF survey asked all 146 acute hospital trusts in England about their policy on vending machines.
Of the 110 which responded, 81 said they did not have a policy. Only 11 said they did have a vending policy - and 18 hospitals said a policy was under development.
Fifty-eight per cent of hospitals said their vending machines were not stocked with 30% healthy products, although 67% responded that they offered at least one healthier choice option for each product type.
Amanda McLean, general manager at the WCRF, said chocolate bars, crisps and sugary soft drinks were not appropriate items to be selling in hospitals.
"Because there is strong evidence that these foods cause obesity - a risk factor in diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease - they are partly to blame for many people ending up in hospital in the first place," she said.
"Hospitals should put an end to vending machines that sell only high calorie food and drink. They should be beacons of good health in our communities and encourage and support people in making healthier choices about the food they eat."