NHS England (NHSE) and the Soil Association have announced a new partnership that will see 20 hospital Trusts supported to achieve Food for Life Served Here (FFLSH) certification, with all application fees fully funded through the programme.
FFLSH certification is an independent endorsement, backed by annual audits. Standards are set at three levels of certification – Bronze, Silver and Gold.
Carol Longden, Head of Business Development at Soil Association Food explains: “Food for Life Served Here provides a robust baseline standard, showing food purchased meets good welfare standards and is cooked from scratch using minimally processed, seasonal ingredients.”
In December 2025, NHSE commissioned the Soil Association to engage 20 hospitals, with the aim of enrolling all hospitals onto the FFLSH certification programme by March 2026.
Benefits of certification
This initiative will help participating hospitals to demonstrate the high quality of the food they serve, meeting rigorous standards for sustainability, animal welfare, nutrition and freshly prepared meals. The new partnership programme will help build a clearer national picture of hospital food quality while empowering caterers to showcase healthier, more nutritious meals.
As part of certification the programme checks for compliance against national guidelines on food and nutrition, so will gather valuable data linked to the proposed Government Buying Standards for Food, including insights on suppliers and higher environmental production standards.
Rachel Bailey is Deputy Director, Agri Growth, Trade and Technology, Agri Food Chain Directorate at Defra. Commenting on the announcement, she said: “This partnership will be a key step in ensuring positive outcomes are delivered by the public money spent on food within these hospital Trusts and in building our understanding of the food being bought and served. Having this knowledge and data will help Government to better understand how to capitalise on its purchasing power, informing any changes to public sector food procurement policies in due course.”
Positive examples
In 2025, Berrywood Hospital, part of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, became the first hospital in the UK to achieve Gold FFLSH certification. Commenting on the value of the achievement, Joanne Fitzgerald, Deputy General Manager of Hotel Services said: “seeing how much patients and staff value the food makes it all worthwhile.”
Among other early adopters, Erica Bell, Support Services Manager at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, described achieving FFLSH certification at Stepping Hill Hospital as “an important strategic milestone.”
She adds: “High-quality, nutritious and sustainable food plays a vital role in patient outcomes, staff wellbeing and the wider NHS ambition to deliver consistently excellent care. Food for Life reinforces our commitment to fresh, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, while supporting our progress towards NHS Net Zero goals.”
More than just a food service
“When hospital sites truly understand the quality and origin of their food, they’re not just serving meals, they’re investing in patient recovery, staff wellbeing and a more resilient, ethical supply chain,” says Phil Shelley, National Lead for Food at NHSE. “This partnership with the Soil Association creates confidence and certainty with NHS purchasing and helps teams realise the importance of food sustenance.”
The Soil Association is currently working with 18 hospital Trusts already certified to FFLSH, with a further 13 in the application process.
