The Healthy choices: policy directive and guidelines for health services aim to improve the availability and promotion of healthier food and drink options on hospital premises.
From mid-2021, health services are required to implement the Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public health services (Policy directive).
This Policy directive applies to in-house managed retail food outlets, all vending machines, all staff/event catering, and items purchased by staff and visitors from patient/resident menus within public health services.
In addition, health services are encouraged to continue implementing the Healthy choices: policy guidelines for hospitals and health services in their commercially/privately managed retail food outlets.
The Policy directive took a phased approach to implementation. Health services reported on Phase 1 (drinks) targets in 2022, and Phase 2 (both food and drinks) in 2023.
From 2024, the Department of Health will require ongoing annual reporting on the Healthy choices: policy directive. Reporting requirements will remain similar to 2023.
Health services’ progress on meeting the Phase 1 (drinks) targets is available in the Short Summary – 2022, and progress on meeting Phase 2 (food and drinks) targets is available in the Short Summary - 2023 below.
Details
- Date published
- 27 Apr 2023
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Reviewed 04 April 2024