H SPITAL

CATERERAugust 2020www.hospitalcaterers.org

Plus The future of your service

First-class lounges Electronic meal ordering

21Membership updateSharing our member’s outstanding work during the pandemic.

23The nutritional benefits of electronic meal orderingHow digital meal ordering systems have revolutionised patient nutrition.

25Lifting spiritsHow the airline industry has been helping frontline workers.

26Food on the go when it was needed mostNew initiatives from NHSSC to help hospital teams.

5Chairman’s Column

6Branch News

10News in briefA roundup of industry news.

12The future of your serviceThe impact of COVID-19, food waste and investing in infrastructure.

17The new normalMoving forward with social distancing and strict hygiene.

EDITOR Amanda Cartmill – Head of Facilities, Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Leighton Hospital, Middlewich Road, Crewe, Cheshire CW1 4QJ Tel: 01270 612509, Email: journaleditor@hospitalcaterers.org Website: www.hospitalcaterers.org

PUBLISHER Lansdowne Publishing Partnership Limited, 11 School House, 2nd Avenue, Trafford Park Village, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1DZ. Tel: 0161 872 6667, Email: hca@lansdownepublishing.com

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE Judith Hindley Tel: 07712 191313, Email: judith@lansdownepublishing.com

Hospital Caterer is published six times a year and is sent to all Members of the Hospital Caterers Association. It is available on subscription, £45.00 pa, Enquiries to the publishers.The HCA does not verify the claims made by advertisers as to the safety, efficiency or acceptability of their products.The views expressed in this Journal are not necessarily those of the Association. News, views and comments are always welcome and should be sent to Lansdowne Publishing.

H SPITAL

CATERERwww.hospitalcaterers.org

Chairman’s Column

Firstly, there is the public’s recognition of the sterling work provided by the support teams, acknowledging that it isn’t only the clinical staff who have kept the NHS running so smoothly. It is my fervent hope that this status will be maintained beyond lockdown because it is vital to our long-term prosperity that we attract young, dynamic caterers into healthcare catering.

If you are reading this column then I am sure you already know that providing a catering service within a healthcare environment is rewarding. However, we need to get that message out there to encourage the catering managers of tomorrow to come along and join us. When I took on the role of HCA Chairman last year, I issued a challenge to increase our membership over two years by 25 per cent. We still have some way to go, but we plan to start a new recruitment drive towards the end of the summer. I hope that everyone will join in and spread the word,getting more people to sign up and see the benefits of being a member of the HCA.

The second good thing to come out of lockdown are the Branch’s online meetings. I have had the pleasure of joining a number over the past couple of months and whilst they shouldn’t completely replace the traditional face-to-face meetings, they are a viable alternative when you consider the amount of travelling required to get everyone in one place; most of our regions cover a considerable distance. As Chairman, I still have six Branches to visit in person but I am more than happy to join any ‘Zoom’ or ‘Teams’ meeting, just to say hello; so, Branch

Secretaries, when you are sending out the invites to your next meeting, how about including the National Officers as well?

We have also held our Council and Executive meetings on ‘Teams’ and by the time this is published we will have had another online Council meeting. It is not easy to manage so many people on a call and we have had to introduce some new rules: (1) everyone is on mute unless they are speaking to the agenda item; (2) if you want to contribute, you need to raise your virtual hand, and this is where the Chair of the meeting must be on the ball, allowing everyone the opportunity to participate; and (3) there is a three hour time limit for the meeting. A conventional Council meeting usually takes six to seven hours, including a lunch break, but anyone who has been on an online meeting will vouch that it is extremely difficult to maintain your concentration for so long. Everyone must therefore remain focused for the three hours to get through all agenda items, but it is surprising at the amount of business we have been able to get through, especially when there is so much to discuss at the moment.

Best wishes

Craig Smith, Honorary National Chairman, Hospital Caterers Association

Many will be asking if anything good has come out of this COVID lockdown? As far as hospital caterers are concerned, I think that there have been a couple of significant things.

I hope that you, your families, and your teams remain safe.

The Executive, along with the Vice Presidents, have held further meetings with Andy Burman, our advisor for helping us become a Limited Company by Guarantee. These talks have been useful in identifying the steps we must take and the levels of responsibility for the new directors of the company. I am also very grateful for the input we have received from various Branches and I remain confident that, despite lockdown, we will soon be able to offer the Membership something concrete to consider. These are important but necessary changes and we need to get them right first time to ensure the Association’s future.

The easing of restrictions has seen the NHS Food Standards and Strategy Group starting to reawaken. I am very pleased to see that our former Chair, Phil Shelley, has been named as the new Vice Chair to this panel. The Association has been well represented on this group, whose work has now spread across a couple of years. The Standards were meant to be released by now, but the Hospital Food Review was called for and, understandably, the Standards and Strategy need to dovetail into this report. We therefore eagerly await an announcement about when this important document will be published.

In the meantime, we will continue playing our part in the NHS that every part of our society is so proud of. I hope that you, your families, and your teams remain safe and I look forward to seeing many of you on the next round of on-line meetings.

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Merseyside and North Wales BranchFrom Carol Delves

In June, the Branch held its first Microsoft Teams meeting since lockdown began, and it proved very successful. Twelve members joined the meeting, a mixture of Full, Honorary, Associate and Patrons.

Carol Delves, Forum Secretary, updated everyone regarding the postponement of the HCA Forum from April 2020 to April 2021.

Despite the pandemic, life in the industry has continued and members discussed what had been happening in their sectors.

■ Amanda Cartmill, Head of Facilities at Mid Cheshire Hospitals Foundation Trust, has a Project Wingman running at Leighton Hospital, where airline cabin crew are providing a coffee lounge service to frontline staff, and more information about this can be found on page 25.

■ There has been an increased use of PPE within the catering facilities and outlets at Betsi Cadwallader University Health Board, and a field hospital was created at Bangor Hospital (although it has not been in use).

■ Craig Barnett has moved to C&C Engineering in Chester as Managing Director and the company has been busy supporting the NHS and care sector throughout COVID-19.

■ Neil Johnson has returned to work following self-isolation and furlough; although the service department at Caterware has remained fully operational supporting the NHS and care sector.

■ M&J Seafoods is running at 10 per cent of pre-COVID rates, with 110 of their vehicles being used for Defra deliveries.

■ NHS Supply Chain Food has facilitated free stock from suppliers to the NHS during the pandemic.

■ Juiceworks is currently running at 48 per cent because of loss of business within the airline industry and some NHS hospitals.

■ Finally, many staff at Bidfood were furloughed on a rota system. However, the company joined forces with Brakes to provide the Defra shielding packs.

It was agreed to hold Branch meetings over the next few months via Microsoft Teams and meetings have been arranged for July, 12 August and 16 September, all at 2pm.

Oxford BranchFrom Mabel Blades

As Branch Secretary, I have been trying to keep the Branch informed with regular information plus lots of funny items – we have needed a laugh in these difficult times.

We held a Branch Zoom meeting on 4 June, which enabled members to be updated on others’ activities – and was attended by our special guest, Blue the budgie (see photo). Zoom training meetings have also been planned as a monthly event.

We are pleased to welcome two new full members to the Branch, with more being proposed.

Finally, the Branch had a virtual walk around a farm with the chair of Nature Friendly Farming on Tuesday 7 July.

David JamesIt is with regret that we must announce the sad news that David James, Life Member, passed away on 23 June 2020. Dave had served 30 years in NHS Catering; on his retirement he was Catering Manager at Clatterbridge Hospital on the Wirral.

Dave was actively involved with the HCA and attended regular Branch meetings. He was also involved in organising the Branch’s first National Conference in Chester in 1992.

Owing to ill health over the past few years, Dave had not been involved with the Branch but did manage to meet up for a get-together with fellow retired members once a year or so.

The Merseyside and North Wales Branch send their condolences to his family.

East of Scotland BranchFrom Loraine Hartley

In common with all other Branches, our calendar of meetings and events has been put on hold as we all navigate our way through lockdown rules and restrictions. During the pandemic, a field hospital – The Louisa Jordon (Scottish Exhibition Conference Centre) – was built in Glasgow and we are very proud to report that Sean Hunter, Operations Director, Robertson FM, was part of the amazing team that assisted with this project. Sean has provided us with his overview of the project, so if you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch.

As Scotland begins to take steps to recovery, we are looking to move forward as

a Branch, re-establishing our committee meetings (Teams/Zoom) and, all going well, going ahead with our remaining events as planned:

TEAM BUILDING DAY: Friday 11 September 2020: Forth Boat Three Bridges cruise only, followed by an afternoon tea, and

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: Friday 29 November 2020: Starting at 1.30pm, followed by late lunch/drinks afterwards. Details will be confirmed in due course.

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Trent BranchFrom Allan Gimson and Helen Westwood

In common with other Branches, Coronavirus restrictions have had a tremendous effect on our Branch calendar. Contact during lockdown has been restricted to personal calls and emails between members, together with global emails from our Branch Committee.

There has been a tremendous response from all the catering staff in the hospitals that we serve, with staff maintaining the service to staff and patients. Of course, we have seen many changes, but caterers are always known for being flexible and adapting at very short notice. After all, our service can never be cancelled or delayed – people do tend to notice if they are not fed on time.

Nicola Strawther reports that in response to the pandemic, a private hospital, The Park, supported Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) by taking some NHS patients, including upper gastrointestinal patients. “We had to take immediate action to support this patient group and their specific nutritional requirements by providing education on IDDSI to the catering team and operational leads at The Parks,” says Nicola. “NUH catering supplied IDDSI meals alongside meals from the NUH Memory menu to maintain patient care.

“We are continuing to manage varying products being discontinued in the supply chain,” continues Nicola. “We have a strong Power of 3 relationship, which meant we had minimal delays in menu developments, with five menu reviews under way alongside developments to our meal ordering system and back-of-house product management. Training podcasts are also in development for all our catering team members to access to enhance their knowledge and skills on nutrition in hospital.”

Chris Neale, also from NUH, reported that, “we have worked closely with our retail partner (Elior) to provide a 24/7 restaurant facility over both our sites, giving colleagues the opportunity to get a hot meal through the night and a place for respite.”

Lynsey Hawkins, Sales Development Manager, Free Trade Multiples, at Bidfood, recently informed us that the company has been promoting the work it has been doing to support the NHS via its social media channels. The company also recently launched its √Self guide (as reported in the News pages of Hospital Caterer June 2020 issue), which has helped promote and support the mental wellbeing of NHS frontline staff during the pandemic. “Our focus moved to supporting our frontline workers with tangible insight and advice into mental wellbeing in the NHS, with regard to what is available for workers and what to consider in their diets,” says Lynsey.

Our very best wishes go out to all our colleagues across the HCA.

Finally, Tracy Winder, Assistant Foodservices Manager at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, is pictured right (in royal blue top) receiving a winner’s positivity award on behalf of the catering team for everything they have done to stay positive and support patients and colleagues during the pandemic.

West of Scotland BranchFrom Robert McLaughlin

Like everyone else during lockdown, our Branch calendar of events has been put on hold. We have, however, managed to hold two smaller committee meetings since lockdown (social distancing was observed).

The main topic of discussion was contingency planning for the forthcoming AGM in December and the Branch’s annual learning and development day scheduled for February 2021 in the Seamill Hydro.

Since lockdown it has been a huge challenge for most of our members, in particular those shielding or working from home. Even more challenging has been getting used to video conferencing and working from home.

Over the last 10 weeks, the Branch has been sending out a

weekly ‘Branch Blog’, which has been a wonderful way of keeping in touch with members. The blogs have grown in popularity and we were honoured to have contributions from our President Lord Hunt and other National Officers, which resulted in a special VIP edition.

Two of our members celebrated big birthdays during the madness: myself and Kate Murray both had locked down 60th birthdays and small celebrations were held.

As a Branch we all recognise that the catering and hospitality industry across all sectors is facing a huge challenge in the near future. The business market will be very different and continuity for some may not be possible. Our thoughts go out to all HCA members and treasured friends, who we wish well for the challenging time ahead.

Branch News

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Wessex BranchFrom Chris Lay

The Wessex Branch is working very differently, but instead of meeting less frequently (or not at all), we have found ourselves in more frequent ‘contact’ courtesy of Zoom.

Two ‘extra’ meetings were scheduled into members’ diaries, which allowed us to network and share ideas and best practice. Never has this been so important. We try to keep to a regular agenda but when minutes, membership, matters arising and finances are done, we discuss who is doing what to overcome ‘any other business’.

Over the last couple of meetings so many Coronavirus-related topics have been aired. Here’s a flavour.

■ How do we overcome the issues of wearing face masks in kitchens (especially) during hot weather?

■ It’s not always possible to get people working ‘back-to-back’ in our offices – what have others done?

■ Staff risk assessments have been conducted for everyone. With HR ‘filtering’ first and looking at factors such as age, gender and ethnicity, what do we do when people achieve a particular score and possibly have to be sent home?

■ How have people increased patient capacity at their sites?

■ How have you managed the kindness of local stores, charities and supermarkets with so much ‘unhealthy’ food being donated?

■ What is the new normal in terms of social distancing whilst working in kitchens – both large (acute) and small (community)?

■ What have you said in your questionnaires from suppliers who want information in order to send ‘freebies’ to Trusts?

■ Deliveries to smaller hospitals can sometimes be a logistical nightmare – how have you overcome such problems?

■ Have others introduced contactless payments? It seems to have worked well for us but what benefits (if any) have others found?

■ We’ve gone ‘staff only’ and ‘pre-ordered’ in our dining rooms? What has worked best for you?

Outside of Coronavirus, what else has been on the agenda?

■ Sadly, we had to postpone our Salon Culinaire until, hopefully, later in the year.

■ Equally sad, we had to postpone our Summer Social at Stella’s campsite and our popular meeting at St Ann’s (Poole), where we enjoy fish and chips at the hospital’s beach huts, is also in doubt.

■ Kevin Bailey from Poole General retired at the end of June. We wish him well for the future and hope he will avail himself of his Life Membership.

It has been great to ‘welcome’ National Officers Craig Smith and Janice Gillan at the last couple of meetings (can you spot them in the photos above?). Their input has been much appreciated and despite the difficulties we are all facing, Wessex would like to thank them for giving up their time to talk to us and listen to our concerns over the governance of the HCA. Wessex firmly believes the HCA should be owned by its members, with Council being the body empowered to make decisions.

Washable face masks by Stella GardenerI have been making face masks for family, friends and the village where I live so if you would like to order any, please let me know. I am asking for a minimum donation of £2 per mask, which will be given to Dementia UK, this year’s HCA Forum charity, plus the £1 cost of postage.

When you order any, please let me know if they are for male or female and I will try and pick

material that I think you would like. I have also made children’s masks for ages 2–5 and 6–10.

You can order the masks by emailing me (stella.gardener@southernhealth.nhs.uk). Please let me have the numbers required, whether they are male/female/child, plus your address to send them to. I will then let you know the bank payment details to send the money to.

Hospital Caterer

Branch News

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HCA members enter the BDA Roll of HonourLauren Bowen, Head of Patient Catering with ISS Healthcare, and Medirest’s Maxine Cartz have been entered on the British Dietetic Association’s (BDA) Roll of Honour 2020 for their outstanding contribution on the much heralded Hospital Food Review. This rare honour is given as a result of nominations from staff, colleagues and members.Caroline Bovey, Chair of the BDA, was impressed to see such a strong endorsement from the BDA Board of Directors. Craig Smith, National Chair of the HCA, added, “The contributions that Lauren and Maxine gave to the Hospital Food Review were immense. They took their responsibilities extremely seriously and this was reflected in the quality of the work submitted to the Review. This recognition is really well deserved.”“I am pleased to have been part of this important review of hospital food and I’m optimistic about its outcomes,” said Maxine. “Utopia for me is food being eaten and enjoyed, whilst also meeting nutritional needs. This is no different for people in hospital for whom food is an essential part of their care.”Lauren added, “It was an absolute privilege to represent dietitians on this review, but to also have my operational catering hat on. The report recognises not only the clinical importance of food and drink in hospitals, but also values the teams that deliver it – this is what makes it special. Delivering quality and safe food should be a given and embracing technology and consistently focusing on the Last 9 Yards will support a service we can always be proud of.”

For a consistent service count on NH CaseAs the effects of COVID-19 became apparent, NH Case, a supplier to the NHS for the last 60 years, acted quickly to get safety measures in place. Social distancing measures, along with increased hygiene practices, PPE for staff and ongoing training, all helped keep service as normal as possible. Strong planning for Brexit meant that stock levels were high and, as a frozen food provider, shelf life was not an issue. Furthermore, to cope with the increased demand for ready-prepared meals, an extra evening shift was added at the production unit.Steve Thirkell, Catering Services Manager at Harrogate Hospital, commented, “NH Case gave us complete support during the peak of the pandemic. Where many suppliers have let us down with non-availability, they have provided us with everything requested on our designated delivery day, and for that we are extremely grateful. Thank you.”

FOB launches bread nutrition campaignThe Federation of Bakers (FOB) is to promote the role of bread in the UK diet, following a new report by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) that highlights that bread continues to play an important role in the current UK diet. The BNF states that bread contributes to intakes of carbohydrate (as starch), fibre, protein and numerous vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron and thiamin.The FOB states that this report was part of a wider piece of activity that aims to remind consumers and healthcare professionals about the nutritional value of bread. In addition to the updated review, there is also a partnership with the British Dietetic Association as well as a targeted PR campaign and website refresh.The full report can be accessed at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nbu.12435

Supporting the people who need it the mostMcCain Foodservice is dedicated to supporting our industry, partners and local communities through times of need. Throughout the COVID-19 period, we have worked alongside some of the leading charitable organisations in the fight against hunger and food waste, helped by our community of farmers, growers, factory and logistic workers who have worked tremendously hard to make these efforts possible under complex conditions.

Teaming up with The Real Junk Food Project, our product donations contributed towards creating approximately 35,000 free meals across Leeds, while 19.5 tonnes of our frozen chips were donated to families around the UK who needed it most. Furthermore, we donated more than 300 tonnes of potatoes to Fareshare and FoodCloud, helping to feed those hit hardest by the Coronavirus crisis.

To find out more, visit: www.mccainfoodservice.co.uk

Weetabix helps caterers adapt to new normalThe Weetabix Food Company is offering a delicious range of trusted products in portion packs to help hospital caterers meet the evolving needs of the sector.The Weetabix product family comprises a range of tasty and nutritious, cereal-based breakfasts that are high in fibre and low in fat, delivering all the nutrition consumers need to get their day off to a strong start. Products include the UK’s number one breakfast cereal brand Weetabix, Ready brek, Alpen (muesli and bars) and Weetabix On The Go, the UK’s number one breakfast drink.David Bone, Foodservice Account Manager at Weetabix said, “We know that as contract caterers adapt to the new post-COVID world, they will need to find new and innovative ways to offer their consumers healthy and nutritious food that is easy to prepare, convenient and with hygienic packaging. Our range of portion packs can help caterers build customer confidence and satisfy their requirements.”

Hospital Caterer

News-in-brief

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Top of the table againCongratulations to the catering team at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH), which has been ranked as the best in the country for the 14th time in the last 15 years in the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Adult Inpatient Survey.Dan Hoggett, Catering Manager at RJAH (and HCA West Midlands Branch member), says the survey results are something the team is proud of. “High quality, nutritious but also tasty food is crucial for patients during their time in hospital, and we work hard to ensure that is exactly what they get. As a team, we are extremely proud of the

our food has been voted best in the country by our patients, and we couldn’t be more delighted.“This result is a true testament to our fantastic team here, who work extremely hard to ensure the food they produce and serve is of the highest quality, as well as tasty and nutritious. I am immensely proud of them all.”

food we produce, and it’s very rewarding that our patients are pleased with the food they’re provided with.“Getting it right for our patients is a real team effort. We contact patients ahead of them coming into hospital to check their dietary requirements and do everything we can to give them what they want and need. We use high quality, local and seasonal ingredients where possible, and our menus are agreed in association with the Trust’s dietitian.”The survey includes 144 NHS acute trusts across the UK, and asks how each patient would

rate the hospital’s food out of 10. RJAH topped the list with an average score of 7.9. Patients were also asked ‘how good was the choice of food’, with the hospital scoring an even better result of 9.6 out of 10.Phil Davies, head of estates and facilities at RJAH, said: “This is the fifth consecutive year that

Leading from the front…

Leading meals provider apetito has looked to ‘forge a new future’ in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and has been fast to adapt and implement its higher standards, ethos and best practice approach to meet the stringent demands of hospitals as they look to protect patients and essential workers within the NHS.According to Rosemarie Hoyle, Divisional Manager, Healthcare, this includes contactless deliveries, full service support delivered remotely, and staggered shifts to allow for social distancing. “We have also looked to bring innovation to the sector over this period,” she says “and we’re proud to be launching a unique, inspirational range to our healthcare partners that has been developed with support from leading chefs across the UK whose businesses had been adversely impacted by COVID-19.“From August onwards, a series of new product waves will be unveiled, including compelling developments to our TM range and expansion of our plant-based meals. We look forward to showcasing the new ‘Culinary Inspirations’ range to customers.”

KEEPING CLEAN IN THE COVID-19 ERAThe importance of maintaining hygienic standards in commercial kitchens has never been more important. Winterhalter UK has produced a comprehensive guide to how dishwashers can help meet these new challenges, and how the latest technology is raising the bar even higher. The guide provides detailed advice about using dishwashers to keep crockery and ware uncontaminated, as well as handling advice for staff.It also examines how new technology such as reverse osmosis water treatment and connectivity can make achieving high standards of cleanliness easier.The guide to hygiene for glasswashers and dishwashers can be found at: www.winterhalter.com/uk-en/latest-news/news-details/keeping-clean-in-the-covid-19-era

New date for HFM conferenceThe Healthcare Facilities Management conference has been rescheduled for Tuesday 10 November. It will be held at the National Conference Centre (National Motorcycle Museum) in Birmingham and will focus on the behind-the-scenes services that make clinical patient treatment possible. Delegates will include representatives from all areas of facilities management including hotel services, catering, portering, cleaning, retail and security.To book your FREE funded place, go to www.healthcarefm2020.co.uk and quote HFM20HCA (this is a unique promo code for HCA members) when prompted.

Nestlé Professional® video series for chefsNestlé Professional has launched a Plant to Plate video series aimed at inspiring chefs with new plant-based dishes. Hosted by Nestlé Professional’s development chefs, the videos showcase new dishes, twists on the classics and tips and tricks to try.

If you are looking for some inspiration, watch the Plant to Plate series at www.nestle professional.co.uk/news/latest- news/serving-new-skills

Click and collectWith social distancing now very much a part of every day life, ordering food within a retail environment has changed. However, Datasym’s branded app (Android and iOS) and website allow not only the pre-ordering of food from the dining room by the consumer but also the ability for caterers to control the number of orders placed per collection timeslot. The consumer makes payment for the order via the app or website to avoid non-collections.The electronic system also puts caterers in control of the product file and pricing and enables specific promotions that aren’t available at the point of sale.Datasym also offers the option of self-order points within your restaurant, either as freestanding-style units or smaller units that can be counter mounted. Payment is taken at the self-order kiosk and items are then collected from a designated collection point.

News-in-brief

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A series of recent webinars held by Public Sector Catering magazine included an informative interview with Craig Smith, HCA Chair, in mid-June, about the future of the hospital food service.The hour-long webinar, The Future of Your Service – Hospitals, was hosted by David Foad, Editor of Public Sector Catering, and was watched by many members of the HCA as well as manufacturers and suppliers. A pre-recorded interview with Craig was shown first, and then live responses to the interview and a question and answer session with Craig and four other panel members followed.

The panel comprised Phil Shelley (Facilities Manager for Taunton & Somerset NHS, Chair

of the Hospital Food Review, and Soft FM National Support at NHS Improvement), Brian Robb (Vice Chair HCA and Area Soft Facilities Manager for NHS Lothian), Andy Kemp (Group Sales and Marketing Director of Bidfood), and Gail Walker (Managing Director of Open Door PR (the HCA’s PR agency).

And so to the interview.What will be happening in hospitals in the next few months as we continue the process of moving out of lockdown?From the outset, an awful lot of hospital caterers have been at the forefront of food provision so they have been in the crisis from the very start. I hope we will see a careful and measured return to some form of normality, although I’m not sure what that normality will be. A lot of normal hospital services have been curtailed or cancelled because of

COVID-19 so we will be seeing the re-opening of wards to get back to good healthcare. We also need to be seeing the whole of the retail element in hospitals starting to come back to some kind of normal.

We have been in extraordinary times but we have lived through them and we must learn from the experience. One thing I have noticed is the way everybody has addressed the cashless sales system. It will be a good idea if more retail units move to a cashless society because it is a lot safer and cleaner.

We also need to address the sandwich deliveries we have. Before the pandemic we had just climbed out of the pit we had got into following the listeria deaths and had lost a major sandwich supplier. Another sandwich supplier has gone into liquidation because of Coronavirus so that is two major suppliers we have lost. We need safer and more sustainable suppliers.

THE FUTURE OF YOUR SERVICE

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Do you think lockdown will have a lasting impact on the hospital catering service?I hope we will come out of lockdown a lot stronger in both catering and soft facilities across the NHS. In the last few months we have demonstrated the importance of what we are delivering and it has been recognised by the general public – maybe for the first time – that we play an important role. I hope that will not be lost.

How important is contingency planning for hospital caterers?The NHS has always been strong on contingency plans, which are reviewed and checked, with emergency scenarios held to see if they work. However, it takes a proper crisis to see if the plans work and they haven’t been found to be wanting. Caterers were involved in the response to the pandemic from the outset – planning what had to be delivered and how it was delivered. Our teams are as integral to the NHS as the nurses and doctors.

We have heard endless stories of caterers who have gone the extra mile and shown why they work in hospitals. Hospital catering is an exceptional element of the hospitality industry and we make a difference.

How has the supply chain supported you over the last three months?Our food suppliers, large and small, have been outstanding, making sure our supply lines were a top priority and got through. Our equipment suppliers have been outstanding too, staying in touch with us throughout the crisis, making sure all our equipment is working. One of my highlights of this crisis is that the supply chain has stood beside us.

What are your feelings about how HCA members have dealt with the challenging times?I have nothing but pride for the people I hear from and about. As HCA Chair I have the ability to dip in and out of all the different regions around the country and spread information of use to everyone and join in with the stories coming from people. At the beginning of this crisis, the caterers and management teams were working flat out, seven days a week to ensure everything was right from the outset. The caterers have been on the frontline from day one – not only preparing food in the kitchens but taking meals to wards and serving the patients at ward level. They should be remarkably proud.

And then we hear about people who are going the extra mile – staying away from home because they don’t want to take infections from the hospital to their home or vice versa. That’s a big sacrifice.

The HCA has given its support to Public Sector Catering’s 20 per cent less meat campaign. Why do you think it is important to cut back on red meat?The campaign is important to us across the whole of the public sector because we have to reflect our demographics. We know that 1 in 8 of the population is vegetarian or vegan, and 1 in 5 claims to be flexitarian, which has seen a reduction in predominantly red meat that we are taking. But we also want to use it as an exercise to reinvest in better quality meat and provide more British meat.

What are your hopes about the Hospital Food Review?It was sad, but obviously understandable, that the publication of the report was postponed because of the crisis, because Phil Shelley and his team put in an enormous amount of

work to get things to a place where the report was finished. We are now waiting for ministerial approval.

If we could magic you into the next Cabinet meeting at Downing Street, what one thing would you ask the Government to do to help hospital catering?If you had asked me at the outset of the Food Review what I wanted to achieve, my biggest headline was that I wanted to ensure the Government ring-fenced the actual spend on food so it wouldn’t be subject to any cost reductions. As we went through the Food Review, Phil and I and the team visited as many hospitals as we could – not just acute units but mental health and care in the community units as well – and it became apparent that a lot weren’t concerned about their budgets and cost per patient, but instead wanted significant investment in the infrastructure and equipment in their departments. Some environments hadn’t changed for maybe 30 years or more and that is desperately sad. We need some serious investment in these areas.

More than 300 people attended the live webinar and many more have since watched the interview and panel discussion on Public Sector Catering’s website. If you haven’t watched it and wish to do so, visit www.publicsectorcatering.co.uk/future-your-service-hospitals

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The HCA has spent a lot of time focussing on plate waste, which is a contributor to the carbon footprint of catering. What more can be done to tackle the issue?I think the issue is wider than just plate waste but plate waste plays a significant part of the issue. We know that some Trusts dispose of their plate waste through the waste disposal unit so they don’t consider it to have a cost, whilst some Trusts pay up to £175/tonne to have it taken away. So we do need to be looking at waste and reducing costs.

During the pandemic, some Trusts reduced their menus quite significantly because they weren’t sure if supplies would be delivered and everything was fine, so do we need to have such a significant choice? I know most people will say “yes we do”, so we need to recognise that there will always be waste. Therefore we need to be looking at more innovative ways of capturing requests before the food goes up to the ward level. I know the HCA is looking at another waste programme to be issued in line with the food review, and the Food Standards and Strategy groups are working alongside the Hospital Food Review team so there is a lot of work going on.

When looking at waste in general and reducing our carbon footprint, I think the NHS is probably almost at the forefront of looking at alternative waste and reducing single-use plastics and disposable cutlery, so that will bring down our carbon footprint too.

Finally, the HCA talks about how the Power of 3 benefits NHS patients. After everything that has happened in care homes during the pandemic, do you think we need to include social carers into the equation so it becomes the Power of 4?The Power of 3 was, and is, a campaign at ward level, demonstrating that it is very important that everyone works together from the ward door to the patient bedside.

However, you are right that the social care element has been raised, quite rightly, in the media. The National Association of Care Caterers (NACC) is a sister association that works hard to represent those in the care community. We have a number of people at our Branch meetings that come from the care community and we can learn from each other. I certainly think the social care sector is an integral part of public sector catering.

WHAT THE PANEL THOUGHTThe four members of the panel were then given an opportunity to respond to Craig’s interview, as follows:

Brian Robb

“What Craig was saying was positive. The support we have had from our suppliers has been second to none. Local and national procurement departments have been doing a fantastic job. From a food perspective our food chain has kept moving, and there was excellent crisis management that was well managed.”

Andy Kemp

“Bidfood made a very conscious decision that we would prioritise the NHS, care homes and elements within society that we deemed as vulnerable, including those in prison. I think the pandemic really made us sit up and think what crisis management is all about.

“I do believe that the Government will start to think seriously about the provision of services and subservices within the NHS and nursing homes that support the care of the nation. I suspect it will drive a higher compliance of standard.

“As an individual, I have been disappointed at the lack of recognition in the media and marketplace (apart from the NHS) for caterers who have been exposed as frontline staff in hospitals and care homes.”

Gail Walker

“YouGov has put out information to say that recognition for caterers who are minimum wage frontline people is higher than ever. In the broader sense there is recognition of the work they do. As we come out of lockdown, our job now as communicators is to keep that pressure up and use the opportunity to escalate that and keep status high within general populations and within organisations, re-engaging stakeholders and boards that food is a part of medicine.”

Phil Shelley

“We are in a different situation to anything we have ever faced before but Craig has highlighted where we need to be and he has just started to plant a few seeds as to where we can go and, importantly, how we can do it. The Food Review will hopefully be published later this year to move us forward and then we also have the food standards coming out, plus there is always great work going on in the HCA.

“We mustn’t forget the different things going on to help us progress. When we visited catering departments as part of the Food Review, we spoke to people from every different role and they are all leaders that have a desire to drive change. There is plenty going on to move things forward.”

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Ask the panelThe webinar viewers were given the opportunity to put questions to the panel. Below is a selection.

Craig: Do you have any advice as to which is the best mask for caterers to use?

We have been working to make sure as many as need it get proper PPE but I am not aware of anything specific to the food service. In a CPU at the moment it is an extremely high-risk area for the delivery of service because if someone from track and trace is told to self isolate because they have been in contact with someone, that could affect an entire catering department and the complete service could be locked down. So, we need to take this very seriously.”

Phil: Is the HCA going to issue any guidance on what can be sold in hospital retail outlets?

“It is difficult to dictate on what retail can sell. What I must say is that a lot of our retail almost shut down as soon as COVID-19 was upon us because they hadn’t prepared for the circumstances and so there were major staffing issues. To help get things back on track as quickly as possible we have looked at screening, separation and masks, and it generally works.

“The relationship that we want hospitals to have with their retail outlets is very important, and for me, personally, I have tried to have a solid foundation. We are all working together and serving the same people so we must try and find the best solutions. We are in a new situation and we need to make the most of this remit about safety and the way we care for ourselves and hand on that accountability by sharing space with each other. Going forward it is going to be different.”

Andy: What has COVID done to the supply chain?

“Having had lots of planning meetings before lockdown, we were aware of the number of patients we might need to cater for. However, we soon realised the requirement was going to be more around dysphagic food so the requirement for traditional hospital food started to shrink. Therefore, it wasn’t too bad for us with regard to maintaining volumes of supplies.

“The difference we started to see was that lots of major manufacturers started to close down because the demand was not there, which meant we were not sure what we could get. A good example is Coca Cola, who are a major supplier of post-mix for carbonated drinks. When the pubs and restaurants shut down their supply chain had gone so they stopped producing it, which affected hospitals obtaining post-mix for their carbonated drinks.

“However, the most difficult area for us was the immediate panic in the retail sector. The majority of our suppliers trade into retail and food service so with the panic buying, they immediately switched production to purely retail to meet the demand from the supermarkets. We were then in a scramble to get a ‘like’ product for food service, which gave many caterers additional work because they then had to look at the ingredients and nutritional standards of the alternative products. Thankfully, this was short-term because the immediate panic died down.

“In the main, the supply worked well and British suppliers were superb.”

Gail: What do we do to raise the importance and value of NHS caterers?

“When you go through a crisis you actually stop communicating and marketing because you don’t want to be seen as capitalising on a tragedy. As we come through lockdown it is a good time to start messaging within organisations and hospitality but also further than that.

“Caterers need to take the goodwill that people have for the NHS now and speak to their chief executive and say they need to be funded. It is also a good opportunity to raise their own status in the Trust and show that food is as important as medicine. “From the supplier front, they need to start communicating that they supply the NHS and are proud to be part of the NHS. There’s a good narrative that can come out of lockdown.”

Phil: When might we see the Food Review and can you give an insight as to what might be in it?

“It was certainly the right thing to delay the publication of the Review. The report was written pre-COVID so we are adapting it now because we can’t ignore what has happened. We had political and public support before so we should have even greater support now. I believe there will be a two-year implementation plan to work with associations and colleagues to make the right decisions.

“I think the publication will probably be linked with a spending review in, say, October/November but that is down to the Secretary of State. It is important we link into that spending review and help politicians see that we need the money now and what for. We need a continual spend for a two-year period for food and equipment but it isn’t all about the money – it’s also about the way we work in our establishments. People are proud of what they do so we should buddy up and learn from each other and give a balanced view.”

Brian: Do you see menu reductions and bulk service on wards changing after the pandemic?

“Menu reductions were implemented by some Trusts at the beginning of the pandemic when they thought there were going to be food shortages, but they certainly haven’t happened everywhere. Where they were done, a lot of background work was undertaken by dietitians to ensure the new menu met the nutritional needs of the patients.

“Looking to the future, there are a lot of places that need investment in them and where food service delivery models are overdue. Some sites are operating systems that were implemented in the late 1970s/early 1980s and the lack of investment is apparent. Therefore we are starting to look at a long-term plan looking at food service models.

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