New Elior chief wants increase in care catering budgets

Tim Hammond, the new chief executive of contract caterer Elior UK, wants more Government money used on food and catering in the care sector because of the 'vital role' it plays. "Residential and other forms of social care have been chronically under-funded for years. Most councils are only paying £400-500 per week for full residential nursing care, which is at least £200 below the true cost of care," he said. "Step back and compare that to a budget hotel and the challenges faced become apparent. "Older people are not getting care when they should be, and the care that they are receiving is so pressurised by budgets that residents – the customers – aren't getting the standard of service they deserve. "As the Dilnot proposals address this imbalance, I warmly welcome them. But it's vital that the Government implements them by finding the £1.7bn needed to do this properly - this is less than 2% of the NHS budget, and our older people deserve nothing less. "Care home residents should be thought of as people and not patients – and just like the customers in restaurants, pubs or hotels, they ought to have a service that delivers pleasure and joy. "Shopping, gardening and eating are the top three pastimes among older people, and although some may be able to do a spot of gardening if the care home has a decent garden, a smaller number will still be able to shop. "This leaves food as a vital source of pleasure and therefore something that should be at the heart of every care home's offer." You can read the full version of his remarks in the August issue of Cost Sector Catering.