In July 2024, Sophie’s Legacy and NHS England launched a pilot program to provide meals to parents staying in hospitals with their children. The scheme has been funded by Sophie's Legacy charity in 15 hospitals nationwide and includes Leighton Hospital, Royal Surrey NHS Trust, Airedale NHS Trust, East Surrey Hospital, Royal Devon NHS Trust, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, Northumbria NHS Trust, Royal Bolton Hospital, Royal Manchester Childrens Hospital,, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust, Warrington and Halton NHS Trust, University Hospitals of Morecombe Bay NHS Trust (Furness General Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary), Liverpool Womens Neonatal Unit and Countess of Chester Hospital. 

 

The core aim of the initiative is to ensure all parents and care-givers are provided meals daily whilst supporting their child in hospital. Access to food and drink is a fundamental necessity for parents navigating the stress of having a child in the hospital. By ensuring parents' basic needs are met, parents can actively participate in their child’s care and engage more effectively with medical professionals. Hospitals in the scheme have also reported that patient children are eating more, when eating alongside their parent. 

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  Sophie’s Legacy first launched a pilot program in 2023 with 9 hospitals funded through the Children’s Hospital Alliance. The 12 week-program aimed to demonstrate the positive impact on families in hospital by feeding parents.  Following the end of scheme, several hospitals opted to continue feeding parents in the latest project and further hospitals joined.  The hospitals involved in this project were Alder Hey, Great Ormond Street, Southampton, Manchester Childrens, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Sheffield and Leeds. ​