The catering team at The National Rehabilitation Hospital celebrated its commitment to creating a healthy food environment for staff and visitors. The Dublin hospital achieved its Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award Gold level recertification in October 2024, having previously achieved the Silver award two years ago.
The Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award is a unique health promotion programme created by the Irish Heart Foundation in the mid-1990s. They have continuously developed the programme over the past 25+ years with the support of the HSE.
Across Ireland, 47 healthcare sites currently hold Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award accreditation, supporting the health of over 50,000 healthcare staff nationwide. There are three different levels of achievement for the award: Bronze, Silver and Gold, and applicants must meet the specific criteria for their chosen award level.
Through the award programme, catering facilities in healthcare services are assisted and supported to adopt healthier cooking practices and provide healthier food choices without incurring substantial costs.
In 2021, the Irish Heart Foundation partnered with the HSE Healthy Eating Active Living Programme to support healthcare services to implement the HSE Nutrition Standards for provision of food and beverages to staff and visitors.
Achieving a Happy Heart Healthy Eating Award will help to:
- create a healthy food environment and a culture of health and wellbeing,
- provide a long-term sustainable programme,
- demonstrate a commitment to the facility’s staff wellbeing.
Who is eligible to apply?
Catering facilities that prepare and serve hot food on site in HSE sites and Section 38 and 39 funded health services can register for the award programme free of charge by contacting [email protected]