Fruit and veg stall to return to Stafford's County Hospital
Fruit and veg stalls will return to County Hospital following a successful trial.
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is now looking for a Stafford-based company to run a stand outside of the Weston Road Hospital while a provider has been found to operate stalls at Royal Stoke.
It comes just three months after a fruit and veg stall at the hospital was closed down following a pilot scheme.
The stall was run by Healthy Options Midlands.
Trader Scott Burbridge-Smith has described the closure as a 'massive blow', after a stall at Royal Stoke University Hospital also being closed down.
Bosses at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which run the hospital on Weston Road, launched the pilot scheme earlier this year, claiming they are 'committed to promoting healthy living'.
John Simpson, director of estates and facilities at UHNM said: "It's fantastic news for patients, visitors and staff that fruit and vegetable stalls are returning, initially to the entrance of Royal Stoke. The feedback we received about the stalls was that these were an incredibly welcome service and that people were very keen to see them return.
"Last year, we encountered a number of logistical problems so it was important that we used the evaluation period to iron those out. This will ensure an even better service.
"We're keen to work with local companies so linking up with Freshview, who are based in Wolstanton, is a superb partnership. We're now very keen to work with a company based in the Stafford area to provide a fruit and veg stall at County Hospital."
