1. Foreword
2. Introduction
3. Hospital kitchens
Patients prefer meals which are freshly cooked in a hospital’s own kitchen
Closing kitchens might cost hospitals more in the long term
The closure of kitchens is severing relationships between hospitals and local suppliers of food
4. Who is preparing and selling our hospital food?
Patients prefer the food at hospitals which employ NHS caterers
Hospitals spend less when they employ NHS caterers
Hospitals can retain profits from its retail catering by keeping it in the NHS
5. Conclusion
6. Data
Acknowledgements
Contact
Glossary
Appendix
Better Hospital Food: The campaign represents a coalition of organisations calling on the Westminster government to introduce mandatory nutritional, environmental and ethical standards for food served to patients in NHS hospitals in England.
Sustain
The Green House
244-254 Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9DA
020 3559 6777
sustain@sustainweb.org
Our mission is to catalyse systemic change in the UK’s food and farming system – securing a healthy, fair, and sustainable future for all people, nature and a stable climate.
© Sustain 2026
Registered charity (no. 1018643)
Data privacy & cookies
Icons by Icons8