About us

Plants First Healthcare has been launched by a coalition of 24 organisations representing, through their membership, over one million NHS health professionals who are concerned about the impact of our food systems on individual, population and planetary health.

We support evidence-based strategies to tackle the interconnecting crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and increasing levels of chronic disease. Therefore we are calling for a plants-first approach to food in healthcare settings.

This means the menu prioritises plant-based options, whilst retaining freedom of choice as meat and dairy remain available.

We launched the initiative on 16th October 2024 by sending an open letter to NHS leaders and the UK and Ireland’s Departments For Health & Social Care, calling on them to support prioritising plant-based food provision in healthcare settings. On the same day, the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change launched their Plant Powered Planet policy report calling for a transition to a plant-based food environment in healthcare settings.

The open letter led to productive meetings with the NHS net zero food team and responses from NHS and government leaders from the UK and Ireland. And in some forward thinking hospitals, change is already happening.

In New York City this approach has been successfully implemented in 11 hospitals and resulted in significant cost savings, reductions in carbon footprint from catering, and received high levels of patient satisfaction. It is now being piloted by Nuffield Health in 37 hospitals across the UK.

To support organisations to make this transition, Greener By Default, a not for profit who apply behavioural science to food provision, will work for free with UK hospitals to prioritise plant-based meals on patient menus and in staff canteens.

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Watch a plants first approach in NYC