The Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) has called on the government to implement a fixed minimum cost for hospital meals across the UK, in the same way as it has done with fixed standards for school dinners.
HCA chair Phil Shelley says the move would avoid the price disparities seen from trust to trust.
He was responding to comments from NHS chief executive Simon Stevens, who spoke recently about the need not only to support the health of its workforce but also to improve the quality of food for patients.
His proposed plans will see national action by NHS England and Public Health England (PHE) to challenge and support catering contractors and PFI providers to raise the standards of food and nutrition in hospitals.
Shelley said: “Many of the areas of concern that are being raised as Stevens outlines his push to help NHS workers get healthier may be beyond our control as NHS caterers, but it is important that we are involved in the decision-making process – and specifically around the food we produce. It’s clear we need consistency.”
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“NHS benchmarking data shows the mean cost of patient food per day is currently £8.97, with the lowest value at £3.00.”
Shelley, who is also the facilities manager at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, Somerset, adds: “I know of hospitals in parts of the UK that are spending £10–12 a head. Every patient should get the same high-quality care and choice, but there is massive overspending going on, and it’s unfair to the hospitals whose food and drink budgets are being cut."
Musgrove Park spends £3.60 per patient per day, which he believes is sustainable.
“But to save money, other trusts are serving soup and sandwiches for supper instead of a hot meal. This may work for the trust financially, but feeding patients is a complex process.
“One size does not fit all, because we’re dealing with an increasing number of patients who require special diets and nutritional support, so sandwiches are not suitable for a good number of them.”
Shelley believes that NHS kitchens supporting retail outlets should be run as professional enterprises, and that hospital kitchens need to take a commercial approach by operating a sensible profit and loss system.
“I don’t agree with the idea of subsidised catering, but savings can be found by, for instance, using seasonal produce to reduce costs, and by working closely with patients on the preferred timing of the main meal and on what snacks they enjoy.
“This approach gives caterers a better understanding of the patients’ needs while also reducing wastage."