Hospital bosses face £1MILLION bill for kicking Burger King out of site

NHS chiefs face a £1million “fine” for kicking Burger King out of a top hospital.
The fast food giant has a takeaway on the concourse at the world famous Addenbrooke’s Hospital , Cambridge.

Addenbrooke’s - an acclaimed cardiac centre - has a 25 year contract with the company that sublets space to the chain which is due to end in 2024.
But terminating the contract before then would cost the hospital - whose trust is facing a £56.3million deficit - around £1million in financial penalties.

NHS hospitals across the UK are under growing pressure to end the sale of junk food and promote better diets as part of an anti obesity drive.
Addenbrooke’s, whose food hall also includes a Costa Coffee, Starbucks and Marks & Spencer, is the last NHS hospital with a Burger King on site.

It is just a few hundred yards from a sixth form college whose students use the Burger King at lunchtimes.
Katherine Button, co-ordinator for the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said: “It’s outrageous that Burger King has free reign to sell junk food in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, alongside the their specialist cardiology and coronary care unit, until 2024.

“Burger King has failed time after time to meet government guidelines on healthy food, from the government’s responsibility deal to NHS England targets.
“It has no place in our NHS. This is the last hospital based burger chain in the country and we think Burger King should be booted out of all our hospitals for good.”

Doctors and health campaigners claim allowing fast food firms to operate from NHS sites is simply adding to the obesity problem, which costs the health service £6billion a year.

Cambridge University Hospitals, which include Addenbrooke’s, refused to discuss details of its Burger King contract.

A spokesman said: “The food court area is leased to our contractors Gentian.
“The trust has explored exiting the contract but that would result in a significant financial penalty which would take away vital resources from patient care.

“We have worked hard in recent years to offer a wide range of food outlets in order for patients, visitors and staff to have plenty of healthy options to choose from.
“Inpatients have entirely separate catering arrangements and we regularly receive excellent feedback from our patients about the nutritious food we serve on the wards.”

A Burger King spokesman said: “This location is independently owned and operated by a franchisee.

“Burger King Corp is committed to providing a wide range of menu options for guests to meet their individual nutritional needs and we are working with the franchisee at this location to offer alternative menu options.”