Hospitals to ban family-sized chocolate bars

FAMILY-SIZED chocolate bars and grab bags of sweets are to be banned from NHS hospitals under strict new rules.

Health trusts will lose access to a new pot of funding if they do not remove ‘super-sized’ confectionery from all shops, canteens and vending machines.

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, announced 80 per cent of confectionary sold in NHS premises must have less than 250 calories.

A 120g family bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk contains 636 calories.

Mr Stevens said: ‘The NHS is stepping up action to combat the “super-size” snack culture which is causing an epidemic of obesity, preventable diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease and cancer.’

If they do not meet the rules hospitals will be ineligible for a new £150million fund designed to improve the health of staff, patients and their visitors.

The biggest hospitals could receive up to £2million each year from 2018/19.

The new rules also state that 75 per cent of sandwiches and savoury meals must be below 400 calories.

While 80 per cent of drinks on sale must have less than five grams of sugar per 100ml.