Sugary drinks will be banned from sale in NHS hospitals across England from July, the health service has announced.

This week NHS England released an updated contract for hospitals, which for the first time included a clause prohibiting the sale of sugar sweetened beverages.

Retailers including Marks & Spencer, WH Smiths and Subway had already agreed to cut sales of sweet drinks to a maximum of 10 per cent of their output.

But the new rule will stop outlets from selling the drinks entirely should they fail to meet that target, a move which was welcomed by campaigners. It also means a ban for fizzy and sugary drinks in hundreds of NHS cafes and staff canteens.

Katherine Button, of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said: “We welcome this move by NHS England to ban the sale of sugary drinks in our hospitals.

“Tooth extraction as a result of tooth decay is the most common cause for hospitalisation of children under five – putting unnecessary pressure on stretched NHS services.

“This bold leadership from NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens is exactly what we need to tackle these big health challenges.”