1) Hospital food standards should be set down in law, on the same legal basis as school food standards, to ensure hospitals must mandatorily meet minimum standards for the food served to patients, staff and visitors. These standards should be independently monitored and enforced.

2) To take action to improve patient food quality this hospital food standards legislation should include menu requirements and minimum standards for ingredients to promote fresh, healthy and appetising cooking, higher animal welfare, and ethical and sustainable ingredients.

3) To take action on the retail environment this hospital food standards legislation should include and make mandatory; the NHS England CQUIN 2017-2019 Indicator 1b: Healthy food for NHS staff, visitors and patients1, as well as the SC19 Food Standards2 and the five hospital food standards3 in the NHS Standard Contract.

4) In addition, the hospital food standards legislation should include minimum legal standards on the food sold in vending machines on hospital premises akin to the Healthy Living Award Plus, already mandatory in Scotland.

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