§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in view of the complaints received regarding the adequacy of the reheating of cook-chill food on wards at Clayton hospital, Wakefield, and the evidence of breaches of his Department's 1980 guidelines, he will order the immediate suspension of cook-chill catering in this hospital and the reintroduction of conventionally cooked meals.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeSince cook-chill catering was introduced at the Clayton hospital on 6 March 14,000304W cook-chill meals have been consumed by patients. As at 5 April the district health authority had received a total of five complaints, three of which were from the same patient. Only one related to cook-chill food. All five complaints were passed to the hon. Member who relayed them to the press before seeking an explanation from the health authority. As a result the local press produced biased and inaccurate reports of complaints which in my judgment would certainly not justify the suspension of the successful and popular introduction of cook-chill catering in this hospital.