Healthy Choices: policy directive and guidelines for health services

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.