Dismay as hospitals go large on snacks

'Promotion of unhealthy food and drink goes against everything NHS stands for'

- By Lucy Johnston and George Winter

SOME of Britain’s biggest hospitals spent £3million on sweets, cakes, biscuits and fizzy drinks last year.

Records show unhealthy snacks and drinks were still being sold to patients, staff and visitors despite repeated British Medical Association calls for a ban on vending machines.

Data released by 33 NHS Trusts after Freedom of Information requests reveal they spent a combined £2.5million in 2023/24 and £3million in 2024/25 on these products.

And if extrapolated across all 200 NHS Trusts in England, it would equate to an estimated spend of £18.2million last year.

The highest spending trusts included Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation, which forked out £383,000 in 2023/24 - the most up-to-date figure it provided — and

‘Estimated spend of £18.2million last year’