The National Health Service (NHS) will have served up around 400,000 Christmas lunches on Sunday (December 25) for the thousands of staff and patients who were not at home.
Dedicated staff across the country donned Santa hats and tinsel scarves while treating patients.
At Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London there were 1,200 portions of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pigs in blankets served up.
And for the vegetarians there were 300 portions of mushroom and Quorn fricasse with tagliatelle verdi.
Meals were accompanied with roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, button sprouts, baby carrots, and Christmas pudding and brandy sauce, of Stollen slice for dessert.
Later in the day, Christmas cake was served with afternoon tea, and for supper 1,200 Christmas buffet boxes were handed out at the children's and adult wards.
Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt , said: “I want to thank everyone across our health and care system, from the cooks making hundreds of thousands of Christmas dinners to the cleaners, nurses, doctors, care workers, paramedics and countless other staff making sure patients get outstanding care this Christmas.
“No-one wants to be away from home over Christmas but I know that staff are again pulling out all the stops so patients have the best possible time.”
Around 1,040,000 people work Christmas Day in the UK, which includes 12,000 midwives delivering 1,800 babies.
About 97,000 nurses and 53,000 healthcare assistants were also hard at work in hospitals and there were an estimated 200,000 care workers at care homes caring for the vulnerable and the elderly.
Nearly 40,000 cleaners and 12,000 porters also help keep the NHS moving.
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