“NHS Supply Chain was not aware of these allegations.  As soon as you brought this to our attention, we immediately contacted our supplier, Marillo Foods Ltd to discuss these serious allegations and we are conducting an inquiry into this matter.

NHS Supply Chain has a Supplier Code of Conduct which outlines our main principles for suppliers in the area of labour standards and worker welfare. All suppliers are expected to adhere to these principles which address issues such as child labour, forced labour, wages, working hours, health and safety and the environment.

The Supplier Code of Conduct is a contractual requirement and part of all Framework Agreements.   We expect our suppliers to communicate the principles of the Code of Conduct to business partners and sub-contractors in the supply chain involved in supplying the products and to motivate their suppliers to adhere to the same set of standards.

Our Supplier Code of Conduct states:

“Any breach of the obligations… in the Supplier Code of Conduct is considered a material breach of contract by the supplier.”

Marillo Foods have been awarded onto the Framework Agreement for Ambient Foods. All suppliers went through a rigorous evaluation process as part of the tender. In addition, all suppliers to NHS Supply Chain Food Frameworks have to undergo an audit through our independent food safety specialist  who ensure our food frameworks are underpinned by a technical services contract and audit process that provides our customer base with due diligence with regard to food safety.  Suppliers cannot trade with us without a Public Sector Code of Practice Accreditation.”

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