Sugary drinks ban at Oswestry hospital

NHS England issued a new scheme this month saying sales of sugar sweetened drinks like Cola, energy drinks and fruit smoothies can only make up 10 per cent of drink sales on any hospital site.

But the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital is taking it one step further by removing all sugar sweetened beverages from its restaurant.

The League of Friends who run a cafe on the site have also agreed, and the vending machine suppliers for the hospital are on board with the hospitals plans.

Phil Page-Davies, head of estates and facilities at the hospital, said: “We are committed to supporting our patients and staff to lead healthier lifestyles and to make simple, positive choices.

“As a result, and following a recent directive from NHS England, we have taken the decision to move to reduce all sugar-sweetened beverages from sale across the Trust with immediate effect.

“These drinks will not disappear from the shelves straight away, as we will run down existing stocks.

"Healthier alternatives to these drinks, such as Coke Zero or Diet Coke, will still be available.

“Fruit juices which contain naturally occurring sugar are not affected by this decision, and will remain on sale.”

The government has attempted to tackle problems with sugary drinks in the past and in 2016 announced the introduction of the 'sugar tax', which will come into force in 2018.

Manufacturers will be taxed on the volume of sugar sweetened drinks they produce or import.

It is expected sugar content of five grammes per 10 millilitres will be taxed at 18p per litre and drinks above eight grammes per 100 millilitres at 24p per litre. It is expected that some manufacturers will reduce sugar content in order to avoid the taxation.

Despite the level of tax not being announced yet the tax could generate an additional £520 million a year, which would be spent on health lifestyles such as funding sport in UK primary schools.

Campaigners have also called for the sugar tax to be extended to include confectionary and sweets to help tackle childhood obesity.

Bev Tabernacle, the hospital's director of nursing said the move is positive on a number of different levels.

She said: “We are very aware of the hidden health dangers of added sugars.

“Many drinks that contain added sugars can be high in energy but often have few other nutrients.

“Drinking these products too often can lead to weight gain and obesity. In particular, drinking lots of sugary drinks has been linked to an increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Sugary drinks can also contribute towards tooth decay.

“We are really pleased to encourage anything which promotes a healthier lifestyle for staff and visitors alike, so we support this move by NHS England.”