Ban Costa Coffee in hospitals, says Doctor

In the unfortunate event that you are visiting a friend or relative in hospital, many people like to take the opportunity to grab a cup a coffee at some point during their stay. But a Bristolian consultant who specialises in weight loss has called for a complete ban of coffee shops which offers ‘sugar-laden’ drinks, cakes and confections from hospitals.

Dr Sally Norton, who splits her time between the Bristol Royal Infirmary and Southend Hospital, said: “We read every week, in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) and other leading medical journals, of research detailing the perils of sugar and fizzy drinks.”

Both of the hospitals in which she works prominently feature the British coffee chain Costa Coffee.

“We frequently hear laments about the cost to the NHS of the epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes, which is threatening to engulf us. And yes, the NHS, which I understood to be an organisation that promotes and supports health…, is actually contributing to the problem,” she wrote in a national newspaper column.

She also added that there was mounting evidence that sugar was addictive and bemoaned the presence of coffee shops in the vicinity of hospitals:

“As a weight loss surgeon,” she continues, “I find it frustrating and, frankly, embarrassing to spend time in clinic, explaining to my patients how sugary drinks and snacks are one of the biggest drivers of obesity, when I know that just outside in our hospital foyer are not one, but to Costa coffee shops.”

Her rant carried on as she complained about the ‘obedient employees’ who tempt people, Norton included she comes close to admitting, to purchasing a cake alongside their hot beverage.

Long-time readers may remember that the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) made the headlines last year when Costa opened up in their concourse. People were quick to complain that the entrance to the hospital was illuminated up by Costa’s sign and all semblance of a place of care was, in the eyes of some, completely lost.

At the time Deborah Lee, director of strategic development, said that she hopes the partnership “will give [us] the wow factor, so patients [coming] through the doors feel positive.”

Now, under a fresh attack from within their ranks, a spokesman for the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation sad that they had researched what their staff and members of the public wanted before opening an on-site location for tenure.

“We were able to transform the old dark and dingy entrance to the BRI with a light and airy Welcome Centre that has transformed the way staff, visitors and patients feel about entering the hospital.”

photo: Thomas Petersen, used under creative commons