Fit to Eat

Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson MP has this week taken huge steps towards improving hospital food for children with cancer by supporting CLIC Sargent’s Fit to Eat campaign.

Mr Johnson has written to all NHS Trusts to highlight the importance of good food for children with cancer and to ask hospitals to take account of CLIC Sargent’s Fit to Eat guidelines.

CLIC Sargent’s recent surveys revealed children are very critical of the quality of food they are given and parents are concerned that children are not eating the food which is provided on children’s cancer wards. The standard of food varies hugely across the UK and can be very poor. Parents report unsuitable and unappetising food which is served in the wrong place, at the wrong time which means their children are struggling to eat regular and nutritional meals. 

Following consultation with children and young people, CLIC Sargent has produced guidelines showing hospitals how they can get it right and deliver hospital food which is Fit to Eat.

CLIC Sargent’s Chief Executive Dr Carole Easton says: ‘Three young people delivered our guidelines to the Secretary of State and I am delighted that he has listened to them and made such a strong commitment to improving hospital food.

‘I hope that hospitals will now take this opportunity to put into practice some of the advice and tips outlined in CLIC Sargent’s guidelines and make sure that all children and young people with cancer are offered high quality food in hospital.’

CLIC Sargent wants to see a “food champion” based on every children’s cancer ward to help deliver the nutritional service that they deserve.