Appendix 7: Report of the Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food, 2020

Report of the Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food (1)

As introduced in the main body of Chapter 3, The report of the independent review of NHS hospital food was published in October 2020. The original release date of early 2020 was postponed due to the challenges faced by the NHS and the whole of the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic. The report covered eight recommendations for system level change, as follows:

Staff,
Nutrition and hydration,
Food safety,
Facilities,
Technology,
Sustainability,
Enforcing standards, and
The way forward.

Following on from the publication of the report, there have been several key areas of progress, including confirmation of an expert panel. The creation of an expert panel was one of the essential recommendations of the Review to drive change across NHS hospital catering.

Representation of the expert panel is outlined below:

Expert Panel Roles and Responsibilities

Profession/Roles	Responsibilities
Dietetics (there is also an additional supplementary dietetic sub-group made up of other AHP’s and professionals, such as allergy specialists)	Work in collaboration with other groups to develop dietetic appropriate menus and resources Understand gaps in dietetic expertise at Trust level Developing resources such as fact sheets, nutritional guides and food service training materials for dietetic students Sharing best practice around key areas in food service such as Mealtimes Matter, flexible food provision and good nutrition
Food service/catering	Develop digital menus and recipe bank to enhance the patient experience Identify new equipment that will benefit food production
Medical	Focus on the ‘last 9 yards’ Ask - what is best practice? How can we improve the patient experience? Assess requirements for 24/7 food provision for staff
Nursing

Expert panel members from the above groups are all working within NHS Trusts. Each have different focus areas where they will channel their expertise, including:

Working with suppliers, for example to understand market trends and further understand shifts toward consumption of more plant-based protein
Net Carbon Zero, for example to enable continuing focus on minimising food waste as a primary goal and helping to contribute toward delivering a net zero NHS

As part of the ongoing work of the independent review, there have been 20 exemplar trusts chosen, a figure that is set to rise further as the work progresses. These trusts have been chosen to work with the expert panel, sharing their good practice and helping other local hospitals to move forward with their catering offer. Since the publication of the Independent Review, the Covid-19 pandemic presented challenges and has undoubtedly delayed progress. The Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) have published a report which further outlines the steps that have been taken, and more details on the way forward (2).

References

Department of Health and Social Care. Report of the Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food. 2020. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/929234/independent-review-of-nhs-hospital-food-report.pdf [Accessed 25th May 2022]
Hospital Caterers Association. The Hospital Food Review – “Making progress together”. http://www.hospitalcaterers.org/hospital-food-review/ [Accessed 11th April 2023]