Listeria: Contaminated Sandwiches

Lisa Cameron Excerpts

Monday 17th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

I agree wholeheartedly with the wise words of my hon. Friend.

[Dr Lisa Cameron (East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow) (SNP)]

What is happening in hospitals? Surely we should be role-modelling fresh and healthy produce? Giving people packaged produce, including sandwiches, to eat gives them the wrong message about health and rehabilitation. Surely we should be role-modelling correct behavioural choices at every opportunity when somebody goes into hospital? Will the Secretary of State speak to the Government’s behavioural insights team to consider taking that forward? In my experience, kitchens in hospitals do exist. If he looks deeply into the issue, he will find that staff and visitors often have restaurants in hospitals. However, fresh food from those restaurants is not always made available to patients. We need to tackle and stop that inequality, particularly when patients are fragile, frail and elderly.

[Matt Hancock]

I will happily look into the last point for the hon. Lady. She is absolutely right that a hospital should be a role model of fresh and healthy food, because after all, what is a hospital but a place to try to make us all healthy?