The quality of hospital food in our local hospitals will be considered under a new national review which is backed by Bake Off’s Prue Leith.

The review will look at driving up quality to make hospital food healthier and more sustainable.

New national quality standards for the food served to staff, patients and visitors will also be set out.

It will also consider how Trusts could use less frozen food, make greater use of seasonal, fresh produce and source locally where appropriate.

The review has been backed by celebrity chef Prue Leith who will act as an advisor.

She has previously spoken out on the need for hospitals to provide healthy options to help recovery of patients.

Jan Ingle from East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust said; "We work really closely with all our partners to make sure our patients and staff have healthy meals.

"We recognise that these will be important new guidelines."

Health and Social Care Secretary and MP for West Suffolk, Matt Hancock, said:"We all know how important the food we eat is to our health. We have a duty to ensure this same level of attention is given to the food served to patients in hospital, or our brilliant NHS staff working tirelessly for patients - and indeed to visitors.

"When people are in hospital, they should be given all the help they can to get better - and that includes food. So I'm determined patients enjoy the best, most delicious and nutritious food to help them recover and leave hospital as quickly as possible. I'm delighted we've assembled a first-rate group to drive this agenda.

"I have seen first-hand how using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and cooking from scratch have improved the quality of their meals and I want to help more hospitals follow suit by sharing what works best across the country."

Bury St Edmunds MP and Health Minister, Jo Churchill added: "What we eat has an enormous effect on our overall health and wellbeing and there are few places where this is more important than in our hospitals.

"I want our NHS to be able to make the most of the great variety of fresh, seasonal produce available in this country to provide appetising options which contain all a patient needs to help them on the road to recovery.

"Our dedicated staff deserve the same choice of quality, healthy, and sustaining meals to see them through a busy shift."