Monday, May 16, 2016
Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
You said, we did – new weekly restaurant menus
You said
Customers visiting the restaurants said they would like to know when their favourite dish was available. They also said they wanted a set-price option.
We did
The Plaza and Cellar restaurants launched some new weekly menus.
The Catering team has picked some of its best-selling meals and added these into a new week-long menu, together with some new choices and a dish of the day.
Each day the menu will offer two hot meat main dishes and a hot vegetarian main dish, as well as a curry dish. Side option choices include three potato choices and a selection of different vegetables.
Following the feedback from customers who said they wanted a set price, there will be a daily special – a "Meal of the Day" priced at £3.50 – which will be advertised in the restaurant on the day.
Ben Foxall, Trust Catering Manager, said: “We will be reviewing our sales over the first four weeks, listening to customer feedback and making suitable amendments as part of an ongoing review. We hope all our customers will like our new meal choices.”
Top award for WSH's patient meals
West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has received a
prized national accolade for its dedication to serving fresh, ethical
and sustainable food to patients, visitors and staff.
The hospital has been presented with the Soil Association's Food for Life Catering Mark bronze award for the meals it serves on the wards and in the Courtyard Cafe and Time Out restaurant.
The award shows that the hospital uses fresh ingredients which meet nutritional guidelines and are free from additives and harmful trans-fats. All of the meat used by the hospital conforms with UK animal welfare standards and has earned the "Red Tractor" farm assurance quality mark, while fish is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and eggs are free range.
To achieve the award, the hospital's catering team reviewed its recipes and changed some of its ingredients, such as swapping milk powder for fresh milk in its cauliflower cheese. They also worked with their butcher to change the seasoning in their sausages, while increasing the meat content of the sausage rolls which are sold to staff so that they now contain over 80% pork.
Brodrick Pooley, catering manager at the hospital, said: We are delighted to have achieved this bronze award, which recognises our dedication to serving fresh, ethical and sustainable food across our wards and in our restaurants.
We use local suppliers for our ingredients wherever possible, which means we can trace all of the meat we use from the farm right to the plate. As well as being better for the environment and more sustainable, we believe this also gives us higher quality products, which means we can create tastier, more nutritious meals which help our patients recovery.
We regularly receive excellent feedback about the quality of food we offer at West Suffolk Hospital, but are always looking for ways to improve still further. We are now planning to build on the success of this bronze award by working towards a gold accolade in the near future.�
The latest award comes shortly after the hospital became the first organisation to receive a gold Eat Out, Eat Well accolade from St Edmundsbury Borough Council in recognition of the healthier choices it offers.
Rich Watts, senior catering mark manager, Soil Association Certification, said: The Catering Mark is the result of lots of dedicated effort by the team at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. Receiving this endorsement is an exceptional achievement in the healthcare sector and a demonstration of the hospital's dedication to serving fresh, ethical, sustainable food that meets nutritional guidelines. Healthy places must be serving food that is good for the environment and good for us.
Nutrition & Hydration Week
At Oakland’s Village Dementia unit they celebrated the week with a different theme every day. They kicked the week off with Smoothie and Milkshake Monday, client’s staff and visitors sampled Brain Boosting Smoothies made with ingredients to help brain function.
Tasty Tuesday saw clients, staff and visitors sampling different foods from around the world, such as vegetable spring rolls and vegetable samosas.
On Wednesday they joined in with the Global Tea Party, they enjoyed the afternoon with a Vintage Theme tea party. They had around 48 people from residential and day centre clientsand visitors attend the tea party., Those in attendance enjoyed a cup of tea or coffee and a wide variety of cakes and scones.
Thirsty Thursday saw clients, staff and visitors have a wide variety of squashes and juices to sample along with information about the importance of staying hydrated.
On Fruity Friday clients, staff and visitors could sample different fruits along with information about vitamins and staying healthy.
The Riverside Nursing Home in Sherborne Dorset really enjoyed their foody week with their residents which concluded with Fruity Friday. They did add they like the newsletters as they are “full of ideas that we can try here in our own Home”. Thank you.
In sunny Sherwood Forest NHS Foundation Trust they had their Nutrition Link nurses make their pledges to improve nutrition / hydration in their areas. At the end of the week the best pledge was drawn, and a prize of a hamper for the winner.
Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th. They had stands promoting good nutrition and hydration in the main reception of Kings Mill Hospital
Wednesday 16th – They took part in Guinness world record attempt for the largest multi-site afternoon tea party
Thursday 17th – Afternoon teas were also served to all patients on all wards
Friday 18th – Senior nursing staff and managers participated in a meal service as part of their ‘back to the floor Friday’
Gillibrand Hall Nursing Care Home, Chorley, Lancashire held a five a day challenge to increase fruit and vegetables intake. Their chef offered smoothies, fresh fruit juice and fruit for breakfast as well as adding fruit in scones, and puddings. On Monday the dietitan was invited in to raise awareness of 100kcal booster suggestions. This was attended by the fluid and nutrition champions, the chef, nurses and care assistants. On Tuesday the senior management team attended for lunch, they were joined by the residents for the dining experience and talked to the residents about the food offered and used the feedback to develop the menu’s. On Wednesday we held a ‘bake off’ with staff making cakes and residents judged the best. The cakes were served as part of the afternoon tea using vintage china. On Friday to round off the week they held a ‘Mocktail party’ with mocktails being tested to increase fluid intake.
Across the Irish Sea in the Republic of Ireland at the St. Mary’s Hospital, Phoenix Park, Dublin they held the following events to celebrate the week.
Monday – Sunday – Information Stands in the Staff Restaurant & Teach Iosa (Resident Area)
Tuesday – Teas on Tuesday – They offered the residents the opportunity to experience new flavours of tea by making herbal and fruit teas available on our afternoon tea round.
Wednesday – Worldwide Afternoon Tea- They participated in the Worldwide Afternoon Tea with Tea/Coffee and Scones served with cream and jam, plus there was music, a Nutrition Quiz, Raffle& Spot Prizes
Thursday – They celebrated St. Patricks Day with a Traditional Irish Menu - At lunchtime serving Beef & Guinness Casserole with Carrots & Creamed Potatoes. Dessert was reflective of the colours in the Irish Flag with Kiwi Fruit, Mandarin Orange and Fresh Cream Meringue and for Evening Teas they served a Traditional Dublin Coddle.