Sugar-free hospital ‘is the way forward’

♦ An NHS hospital has become England’s first to ban all sugary food and drinks for both patients and staff.

Obesity campaigners welcomed the “trailblazing” announcement by Tameside Hospital, in Greater Manchester, and predicted it would prompt others to follow suit.

The new policy goes significantly further than an updated contract banning all sugar-sweetened beverages which comes into force across the health service in July.

A recent report revealed one in four NHS nurses is obese, which is exacerbating staff sickness levels.

Tam Fry, the chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: “Tameside’s initiative should be rolled out to every UK hospital forthwith.”