Highlights for 2022 include a keynote address from HCA President Lord Hunt, an insight into allergy awareness from Nadim and Tanya Laperouse and an interview with broadcaster and journalist Angela Rippon about caring for someone with dementia.
The event kicks off on March 29th with a series of Meet The Buyer sessions between delegates and suppliers, before getting fully underway the next day when Lord Hunt of Kings Heath will talk to delegates about the challenges and opportunities presented by the current Health & Care Bill in pushing the case for better funding and training for healthcare catering operators.
He will be followed by HCA Chair Brian Robb, who will outline his vision for the association and in the afternoon the focus will switch to Hospital Food Review.
Phil Shelley, senior operational & policy manager, NHS E&I will update the forum on the progress of the Hospital Food Review, including the consultation on Food Standards and Strategy; Alexandra Hammond, head of sustainable procurement and supply chain, NHS E&I will outline what suppliers need to do to help the NHS move to ‘net zero’; and Helena Diffey, senior policy adviser on public sector food procurement at Defra will look at the impact on hospital catering of the Government Buying Standards.
Andy Twells of WRAP will talk about the impact of food waste on the environment before Drew Povey, a former headteacher featured on Channel 4s Educating Manchester, talks about leadership. In the evening at the President’s Dinner the HCA Awards will be presented to this year’s winners.
On the final day, Tim Radcliffe of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, talks about how he turned around a failing service, followed by Nick Vadis, culinary director of Compass UK, will tell delegates about the NHS Supply Chain Chefs Academy.
A panel debate featuring Simon Billing of Eating Better, Kristin Bash, Faculty of Public Health, and Sarah Ouanhnon of the NHS Greener Team, will look at the topics ‘Healthy Planet and a Healthy Population’ and how hospital caterers can help achieve these objectives.
Later Nadim and Tanya Laperouse will talk about Natasha’s Law, brought in to tighten allergen control in food retail and catering following the death of their daughter Natasha. Angela Rippon will draw on her experiences caring for her mother Edna, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2004, in the forum-closing interview.
To find out more, view the programme and book your place visit: hcaforum.co.uk.