When Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management started its relationship with apetito, it was with the purpose of improving the current patient meal service, providing greater choice and increased flexibility. Staff within the Trust worked closely with members of the apetito team to develop the next generation Patient Meals System for Northumbria Healthcare. Following a number of trials testing types of regeneration equipment, involving Seton Steele Catering Consultant for apetito, excellent feedback has been received from the catering staff, ward staff and most importantly the patients.
The project is a big change from the way the Trust used to serve food to patients at the main acute hospital sites. This change in direction follows on from what is already offered and managed very well at our NSECH site, but takes it to another level, offering significant benefits to both patients and to the Trust.
The newly proposed system will offer greater consistency across the Trust, but also the opportunity to improve the patient experience; which will hopefully be reflected in the PLACE scores and future patient satisfaction surveys. Staff and CQC feedback from NSECH, on the usage of plated meals, is consistently positive, with patient perception being that meals served at the other sites are from a different source.
Patients will select their meal choice at ward level, with the catering staff then picking and packing the trolleys specific to what orders have been placed. The trolleys are dual purpose and can hold both hot and cold meals in the same tray. The left of the tray holds the hot meals while the right-hand side holds sandwiches, salads, cold desserts, bread, cheese, juice and condiments.
Once the tray is fully ready, it is placed onto the dolly or straight into the trolley, once the cooking has finished ward staff simply remove trays and serve directly to patients. This not only reduces the handling of food by catering staff, but it keeps the quality and portion control consistent at serving times.
This is a really exciting opportunity for NHFM to work alongside apetito to provide patients the best in hospital food. We look forward to sharing our outcomes and results with in the near future.
Benefits for our patients
⦁ More choice, due to a larger selection of around 30 main meal options at each mealtime
⦁ Tasty and nutritious food, including traditional, modern and some plant-based meals.
⦁ Meal ordering closer to service time, reducing waiting times
⦁ Increased food consumption and improved nutrition
⦁ Catering for all allergies, intolerances and dietary requirements
⦁ High quality meals presented at a standard
⦁ No chance of meal options running out
⦁ Any risk of cross contamination from staff removed
⦁ Hot meals can be provided 24 hours a day if required for late admissions/transfers or those patients who may have missed a meal
