General Practitioners in London boroughs, backed by £250 000 in funding, have started to prescribe fruit and vegetables to patients.
The local authorities of Tower Hamlets and Lambeth and a local charity who provide the funds will assess if this pilot approach will combat diet-related illness and food insecurity.
Participants (122 residents) in the pilot project will, over the course of a year, be prescribed vouchers of between £6-£8 per week with an extra £2 per week for each household member to spend with a local retailer or market trader.
If the pilot is successful evaluated it could be rolled out across the UK depending on funding.