Hospitals around the country are undergoing a culinary change. As patient health and wellbeing are tied closely to the food they eat, hospitals are focussing on providing meals that patients will eat, and not return to the kitchen.
Hospitals are placing the patient and their meal requirements first. This means providing hot, nutritious meals, fresh fruit and vegetables and a variety of meals to choose from.
My Food Choice in public hospitals
HealthShare NSW provides around 24 million meals each year for patients in public hospitals. Back in 2017, HealthShare NSW rolled out a new initiative around the state, called My Food Choice. Hospitals were finding that, unsurprisingly, patients weren’t eating unappetising food. Meals were thrown in the bin, and patients went hungry [1]. This sometimes delayed recovery time, increased complication rates and extended the patient’s stay.
My Food Choice revolutionised patient experiences with their meals, recovery and overall impressions of their stay in hospital.
In essence, hospitals combined technology with personalised care. Now, meals are delivered to patients closer to the time of ordering. Staff meet with patients and talk to them about their menu options. They show them pictures of meals and order on a tablet via WiFi. Halal, gluten-free and cultural foods are amongst the various offerings. So, the patient gets far greater variety and choice than ever before.
How hospitals are implementing the changes
Hospital kitchens are responding to the changes by updating their appliances, such as dishwashers, trolleys and ovens.
Menumaster ovens cook 15 times faster than other ovens on the market. They have superior even heating for consistent results. Menumaster ovens do more than just reheat food. They cook pizzas, omelettes, pies and toasties without the need for a full commercial kitchen. Perfect for busy hospitals, Menumaster is durable, and the 100 program menu setting simplifies menu preparation, particularly when staff numbers are low.
With Menumaster, food can be cooked quickly in line with My Food Choice recommendations and delivered hot to the patient.
Food can be delivered on Hupfer gastronorm trollies hot and fresh. The high quality casters roll the trolley smoothly, without rattling or shaking.
Hospitals have also upgraded their dishwashers in line with the increased demand on food service. Comenda dishwashers save on detergent and water and clean more efficiently and quickly than older models.
Changes in other states
Victoria is another state that recently introduced new nutrition and quality food standards in public hospitals [2]. Their renewed focus is on the diverse need of patients and the taste, appearance and variety of meals. Younger patients are catered to and also residents in aged care.
Western Australia is also improving their public hospital meals [3]. The government is focussing on providing meals that are fresh, high-quality and full of flavour. Patients are also offered a variety of options, and hospitals are given greater flexibility.
Reward Hospitality can help your hospital provision superior meals
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This guest resource is written by Comcater, a leading equipment supplier in Australiasia.
[1] SA Health (2014). Menu and Nutrition Standards for Public Health Facilities in South Australia. Retrieved July 1, 2022 from https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au
[2] Andrews, D (2021). Nutritious And Diverse Food For Victorian Hospitals. Retrieved July 1, 2022 from https://www.premier.vic.gov.au
[3] Hames, K (2015). Taste of things to come as new meals dished up. Retrieved July 1, 2022 from https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au