Presentation given at the Department of Health Improving Hospital Food event describing their attempts to improve nutrition through guides and the 'Less' campaign

1. Royal Bolton Hospital
Changing the whole food environment

2. Hospitals
Significant reach and influence within local community.
staff, patients and visitors.
large workplace employing thousands of people.
daily interaction with thousands of patients & visitors
Requirement to tackle staff ill health and promote good health
(Boorman)
Desire to provide good nutrition as part of treatment goals plus food for
convenience.
NHS – trusted brand (hospitals perhaps more so?) Significant for
visitors

3. Obesity
Food and drink high in calories, fat & sugar contributes significantly to
obesity - If hospitals supply fair to say are contributing to obesity
by:
supplying
giving credibility to HFSS food & drink products
neutralising wider public health messages about harm

4. Malnutrition
Eating energy dense food with little or no nutrition.
Patients – may refuse, miss or only partially eat prepared nutritious
meals if satiated by HFSS products
Staff - facilitating their short term energy boost intakes - weight gain -
low nutrition
Visitors – normalisation/promotion of HFSS products – may vaildate &
encourage further consumption?

8. Removed salt from tables.
Removed high-sugar drinks & high-fat crisps from sale*.
Restricted size of chocolate bars (max 60g), flapjacks, muffins and large
packets of biscuits (includes WRVS shops)
Established weekly fruit & veg market & mobile fruit & veg van for staff &
visitors
Traffic light labelling on restaurant menu.
Prohibiting multi-buy deals e.g. buy one get one free or 3 for price of 2
Developed the ‘Less’ campaign to support physical changes
Redesigned children's’ menu encouraging healthier meal choices
Established a Food and Nutrition Working Group
Developed a trust food policy
Working with Council Leisure Services to mirror improvements
We’ve made a start....

9. Traffic light labelling

10. ‘Less’ campaign

11. Weekly fruit & veg market

12. Weekly mobile fruit & veg van on site

13. After the changes

14. WRVS shop

15. Trust owned cafe

16. Trust’s vending machines

17. WRVS
shop

18. WRVS
shop

19. Next steps...remove multi-buys

20. OK with this
multi-buy

21. What would people say is
acceptable trade within a
hospital/NHS environment?

22. Electronic cigarette shops?

23. Betting shops or…

24. Fruit machines?

26. Public vote……..
IS IT ACCEPTABLE FOR HOSPITALS TO PROMOTE
& SELL PRODUCTS HIGH IN FAT, SALT AND
SUGAR?
Yes
No

27. Take home message:
“Why am I here today”?
We NEED other hospitals to run similar campaigns.
Individually we just make a statement but as a group
we start a movement!

28. THANK YOU
Gary Bickerstaffe
Health Improvement Specialist
(Health Settings)
Room 23, Rivington Unit, Royal Bolton Hospital
Tel: 390749 xt 5749
gary.bickerstaffe@boltonft.nhs.uk