Posted 31/08/22

Victorian government introduces ‘Healthy choices: policy directive for Victorian public health services’

Two hospital staff members smiling at camera

What the policy will achieve

The Policy directive strengthens Victorian public health services as places that support the health and wellbeing of their staff and visitors. It requires services to ensure that healthier food and drinks are sold, provided and promoted across all of their sites and facilities.

It covers:

  • in-house retail food outlets
  • all vending machines
  • all staff/visitor catering
  • items purchased by staff and visitors from patient/resident menus
Video Transcript
in april 2021 the victorian government announced the healthy choices policy directive for victorian public health services
i’m bridget a nutrition policy advisor
from the healthy eating advisory service
and i’m going to walk you through the
policy directive and what it means for
your organisation
public health services play a vital
leadership role in promoting health and
wellbeing
through the services they provide and
the food and drinks they offer to staff
and visitors
the purpose of the directive is to
ensure that all victorian public health
services
sell provide and promote healthier food
and drinks
through their in-house retail food
outlets all vending machines and
catering
as well as items purchased by staff via
patient or resident menus
health services are also encouraged to
implement the policy
in their commercial retail outlets
the policy will be phased in over two
years with mandatory reporting to the
department of health
the first phase requires that no high
sugar drinks
are sold provided or promoted by
september 30
2022 there are also requirements
around the provision of artificially
sweetened drinks
the second phase requires that the
provision of food
meets the healthy choices guidelines
which is the victorian government’s
traffic light system for classifying
food and drinks
this equates to at least 50 green food
and no more than 20 red food via
in-house retail and vending machines
and no red food to be supplied by a
staff or visitor catering
by september 30 2023
our experience working with health
services already implementing healthy
choices
has shown a positive response from staff
and visitors
with no overall negative effects on
revenue or customer satisfaction
as leaders you can support your
organisation
by championing this work supporting your
health promotion and food service staff
to implement these changes and joining
the significant number of health
services
already doing great work in this space
the team of dietitians at the healthy
eating advisory service
have already helped over 180 hospitals
and community health services implement
healthy choices
supported by the victorian government it
is our role to help ensure
your organization meets the policy too
together we have an opportunity to
positively influence the food and drinks
provided to your staff and visitors to
increase the number of healthier options
available
and to support the health and wellbeing
of all who access your health service.

To access the full details including why it has been developed, what it means for your public health service and how HEAS can support you please click here.

Video Transcript
in april 2021
the victorian government announced the
healthy choices
policy directive for victorian public
health services
this policy directive ensures that
victorian public health services
sell provide and promote healthier food
and drinks in their facilities
i’m bridget dietitian from the healthy
eating advisory service
and i’m going to walk you through the
policy directive and what it means
for your health service these changes
will apply to any items for purchase
by in-house retail food outlets all
vending machines
staff and visitor catering as well as
items
purchased by staff via patient or
resident menus
health services are encouraged to also
implement the policy
in their commercial retail outlets
by september 30 2022
your service will no longer be able to
sell
provide or promote high sugar
red category drinks it must provide
at least 50 green drinks and no more
than 50
amber drinks with no more than 20
of these being artificially sweetened
by september 30 2023 your service will
be required to meet the healthy choices
guidelines for food
meeting the targets of at least 50 green
food
and no more than 20 red food independent
of drinks
and no red food is to be provided
through catering
health services will be required to
demonstrate that they meet these
requirements
to the department of health via
specified reporting methods and time
frames
further information about this will be
provided to health services
by the department by making these
changes
your service will be joining the
significant number of health services
already doing great work in this space
each of whom have demonstrated positive
responses from staff and visitors
and pleasing results to their bottom
line
you play an important role in this
implementation
and will be a vital part of engaging and
assisting
both leadership and food service staff
to
understand and adopt these changes
the healthy eating advisory service are
the experts in healthy choices
implementation
and are here to help you and your
organisation
we offer free tailored support to help
you engage
management and food service staff and
assess your menu
to meet the requirements of the policy
directive
together we have an opportunity to
positively influence the food
and drinks provided to your staff and
visitors
to increase the number of healthier
options available
and to support the health and wellbeing
of all who access
your health service

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