§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will institute periodical inspections of all kitchens in all hospitals in the United Kingdom so as to establish which are unhygienic.
§ Mr. John PattenHealth authorities are already expected to invite local authority environmental health departments to visit, inspect and report on all areas within their premises where food is stored, processed or consumed. The detailed arrangements for inspections are matters to be resolved locally.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many patients in hospitals in the United Kingdom have suffered from food poisoning as a result of unhygienic conditions in hospital kitchens.
§ Mr. John PattenThis information is not available centrally.
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§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many hospitals in the United Kingdom staff kitchens are housed in buildings in need of modernisation.
§ Mr. John PattenThe information requested is not held centrally. It would cost a disproportionate amount for this information to be obtained.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much he expects will be spent during the years 1983 and 1984, respectively, in modernising hospital kitchens in the United Kingdom for staff and for patients, respectively; and how such expenditure compares with that incurred during each of the past five years for which records are available.
§ Mr. John PattenThe information requested cannot be separately identified from health authorities' summarised accounts. The amount that health authorities plan to spend on modernisation of hospital kitchens in 1983–84 will be a matter for them to determine within their overall capital allocations.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) in how many hospital kitchens in the United Kingdom cockroaches or mouse droppings, respectively, have been found by health inspectors during the past 12 months;
(2) in how many hospitals in the United Kingdom food was found to have been badly stored during the past 12 months;
(3) in how many hospital kitchens in the United Kingdom during the past 12 months it was found by health inspectors that kitchen equipment was dirty.
§ Mr. John PattenThe management of NHS catering premises and the maintenance of standards is a matter for individual health authorities. Advice has been issued to health authorities on their links with local authority environmental health departments and arrangements for inspections. Details are not available centrally of such inspections, but in the past 12 months only the case at St. Thomas' hospital and one other case of inadequate hospital kitchen hygiene have come to the Department's notice.