§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the quality of food in general hospitals in England and Wales.[134747]
§ Ms StuartResearch has shown, and patients have told me, that in some hospitals the quality of food is not up to the standard that patients expect. The NHS Plan sets out a programme of work to improve the standard of hospital food
336WA 24-hour National Health Service catering service with a new NHS Menu, designed by leading chefs. It will cover continental breakfast, cold drinks and snacks at mid-morning and in the afternoon, light lunchtime meals and an improved two-course evening dinner. This will be a minimum standard for all hospitals;A national franchise for NHS catering will be examined to ensure hospital food is provided by organisations with a national reputation for high quality and customer satisfaction;Half of all hospitals will have new "ward housekeepers" in place by 2004 to ensure that the quality, presentation and quantity of meals meet patient needs; that patients, particularly elderly people, are able to eat meals on offer; and that the service patients receive is genuinely available round the clock;Dieticians will advise and check on nutritional values in hospital food. Patients' views will be measured as part of the Performance Assessment Framework and there will be unannounced inspections of the quality of hospital food.Patient environment action teams, comprising NHS professionals and patient representatives, are now visiting all acute hospitals as part of my initiative to improve the environment for patients, this includes looking at food services and seeking views from patients.
Work is progressing on all elements of this programme.