Cafes offer healthy hospital food

Public health minister Shona Robison helped serve up the first coffees

The first NHS run cafe in Scotland has opened at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

It is a pilot project intended to offer healthier food to patients, staff and visitors, and if successful will be rolled out across the country.

The food served will be lower in fat, sugar and salt, with all profits to be reinvested in the NHS. The outlets will be staffed by NHS employees.

Six similar cafes will open in other Glasgow hospitals and in the Highlands over the next few months.

Speaking as she opened the NHS Aroma cafe in Glasgow, Public Health Minister Shona Robison said: "It is important that the NHS takes the lead in making it easier for staff, visitors and patients to enjoy affordable, high quality and healthier foods.

"I'm delighted to open the very first NHS owned cafe in Glasgow Royal Infirmary and present it with its well deserved Healthyliving Award to recognise the range of healthy food choices available."

'Quality produce'

She added: "Run by the NHS for the NHS, these cafes will put profits straight back into hospitals, benefiting patient care and, in many cases, creating new NHS jobs."

Andrew Robertson, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's chairman, said: "This is an exciting new initiative and we're delighted that Glasgow Royal Infirmary is home to the first Aroma cafe in Scotland.

"Run by local NHS staff, selling quality produce prepared on site, I'm sure Aroma will be extremely popular with staff, patients and visitors."

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