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Hospital Caterers Association (HCA)   27/02/2013 at 14:49

HCA RESPONSE TO CALL FOR COMPULSORY HOSPITAL FOOD STANDARDS The Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) supports the call for mandatory minimum hospital food standards. Hospital caterers based in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been working to compulsory standards for a number of years (Scotland – ‘Food in Hospitals’ 2008, Wales – 2012 and Northern Ireland – 2010). Last October, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) launched ‘The Digest’ which sets out minimum food standards that health care caterers can work to. These have been supported by the HCA and are currently being followed by many hospital caterers, in conjunction with dietetic colleagues, across England. These are, however, voluntary at present. Mandatory food standards would ensure that all patients would have access to and can expect their meals to be of the same consistent nutritional content and quality across the country, no matter where they are in hospital. However, the HCA would add that whilst it supports legally binding minimum food standards, it would be equally necessary to have minimum mandatory food costs i.e. a nationally set allowance for food expenditure per patient per day. Those hospital caterers having to conform to £2.50 per patient per day will not be able to meet the standards in the same way as those who have, for example, £6.50 per day for patient food. The HCA estimates that the daily food cost allowance, in order to meet one set of standards for all, could not be any lower than £4.00 per patient per day and would also have to be set as a minimum and compulsory food cost standard.