Industry news: Hot food for hospital patients

Traditionally, hospital food has been bland with limited choice – patients who are confined to hospital wards for a number of days are at the mercy of the hospital caterers. But Compass Group SA, which provides the catering service to a number of hospitals throughout South Africa, is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to provide food that is fresh, hot, safe, nutritious and palatable.

The group's latest innovation is Serve Plus , a patient dining service designed specifically to support patient's health, quality of life and the recovery process during their hospitalisation.

“The majority of patient feeding systems are designed more around the hospital and the way it works than around the needs of patients," says Mark Holgate, Managing Director : KKS Healthcare and Education. "The biggest issue has always been the logistics of getting the food from a central kitchen and delivering it hot to a ward which might be five floors up.

"Additionally, there might be activity in the ward which prevents the food being served straight away, so the first patient served may get a hot meal but not the last."

Serve Plus has addressed this issue with the introduction of an innovative Heat on Demand system, a portable food heater that allows food to retain its heat for a period of up to 45 minutes, ensuring improved food quality, longer holding time and more consistent heating.

"The Heat on Demand system addresses the transit issue of ensuring that the food is delivered hot to the patient's bedside,” says Holgate.

The service is efficient and personalised, with specially trained Hospitality Hostesses constantly interacting with patients to ensure that they have a variety of food to choose from, and ultimately enjoy their meals. “Our Hospitality Hostesses regularly visit the patients, thereby addressing their nutritional needs up to between nine and 12 times per day. This alleviates nursing staff pressure and allows nurses to concentrate more on nursing, while the hostesses focus on the patient's nutritional requirements,” says Holgate.

In terms of choice, Serve Plus also ensures that the average patient has a variety of extensive and nutritious meal options from which he or she can choose, specifically compiled by a dietician.

“Our Serve Plus service delivers two key values: Operational Excellence and Client and Patient Satisfaction. With this tool, we can create a more positive perception of the hospital dining experience,” concludes Holgate.