24 August 2026

Children and young people receiving care at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth will now have access to a wider range of comforting, nutritious food options thanks to a newly launched menu on the Paediatrics Unit. 

Driven by feedback from patients, parents and carers on the ward, the changes include new food options such as light bites, jacket potatoes, toasties and paninis. Children will also have snack options including fruit and vegetable snack bags, as well as plant-based meal choices. Parents and carers will now also have the option to order a meal from the menu if required. 

A launch event hosted on the Starfish Ward on Monday (24 August) saw opportunities to try the new menu, as well as activities for the children and educational stands from the dietary team. 

The initiative has been supported by Sophie's Legacy, a charity established in memory of ten-year-old Sophie Fairall, who sadly passed away following a diagnosis of a rare childhood cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma. The charity has endorsed several improvements to children's hospital experience both at Queen Alexandra Hospital, and across the country. 

Sophie, who was a patient at Queen Alexandra Hospital, had a passion for improving food options available and could not understand why families were not offered meals while at a child's bedside during an extremely difficult time.  

Divisional Nurse Director and Chair of the Nutrition and Hydration Steering Group at Portsmouth Hospitals, Gina Stanley, said: "We want every young person to feel comfortable, cared for and supported during their time with us. 

"Food is such an important part of recovery, and these changes hope to ensure children and families have access to a variety of meals that feel familiar and nourishing." 

Founder of Sophie's Legacy and mother of Sophie, Charlotte Fairall, added: "Sophie spent many nights at Queen Alexandra Hospital during her cancer treatment and was determined to improve the food available to children. Before she died, she made me promise I would continue that fight.  

"Seeing the new children's menu officially launched is a very proud moment. It has taken years to achieve, but Sophie would be so proud that the changes she wanted are now in place. We hope children and families enjoy the new menu and the difference it will make to their hospital experience." 

The work aligns with national priorities outlined in the NHS National Cancer Plan, which includes a focus on improving hospital food for younger patients, as well as NHS England's new national food standards, set for publication in October.