Campaigning doctors want hospital patients banned from eating bacon butties.
Other favourites including sausage and mash and all-day breakfasts could be off the bedside menu too, if they have their way.
The Plant-based Health Professionals group fear the cancer risk processed meat poses and want NHS hospitals to promote healthy diets.
Anaesthetist Dr Charlotte Houltram, who supports their Give Bacon The Boot campaign said: “Bacon is in the same category as asbestos as far as its potential to cause cancer.”
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PBHP founder Dr Shireen Kassam added: “The NHS spends millions treating cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
“Why serve food that can cause life-threatening conditions? Hospitals will argue healthier options are available, but there’s no safe limit with processed meat.”
In the UK, more than 23,000 cases of cancer every year are caused by eating processed meats such as bacon, salami, hot dogs and ham.
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Yet Croydon Hospital in South London this week was offering patients a BLT sandwich and all-day breakfast featuring a pork sausage and bacon.
There was similar on the kids’ menu at Southend Hospital.
The PBHP wants the British Medical Association to call on NHS hospitals to ban processed meat.
It urges the public to write to MPs and hospitals.
- Visit www.givebacontheboot.co.uk for more info
