Over 140 million meals are served to NHS patients every single year, and there's a further 1.25 million members of staff that require nutritious food and drink while at work. It is clear that high-quality and nutritious hospital food can improve staff and patient wellbeing, and it can also speed up patient recovery. However, 58% of patients rate hospital food as very good or good, and only 39% of hospital staff feel that the food and catering facilities on offer in their workplaces are poor.
Today, we have announced a new blueprint for better hospital food, which will help ensure patients and staff in our Colchester Hospital, and indeed the wider country, can receive tastier, healthier and better quality meals.
The new blueprint has been announced following a review led by celebrity chef and restaurateur Prue Leith CBE, and an expert group of NHS caterers, dietitians and nurses will lead on reviewing these recommendations for more nutritious and better quality food for patients and staff, some of which can be adopted immediately.
In addition, the 40 new hospitals that this Government has pledged to build by 2030, comprising a £3.7 billion hospital building programme, will include 21st-century catering facilities including restaurants, central kitchens, patient dining spaces and ward kitchens.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:
This pandemic has demonstrated more than ever the importance of good food and proper nutrition. We must all prioritise our health and be empowered to eat well, whether we’re at home or in hospital. This impressive report shows the way to good hospital food for all - patients, staff and visitors.
For more information, including the recommendations that the taskforce will be taking forward, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-blueprint-for-better-hospital-food