0:00:02 > 0:00:06Over the last decade, £50 million has been spent trying
0:00:06 > 0:00:08to improve the quality of our hospital food.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13What is that? You don't know.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15So far, though, there's been little sign that change
0:00:15 > 0:00:17on a national level has been achieved.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22That's the reality of the food that's served in the NHS.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27In fact, a recent study revealed that over a third of hospital food
0:00:27 > 0:00:30is still considered unacceptable by patients.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Just horrible.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35It's not appetising.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38It was inedible, cold. It was vile.
0:00:38 > 0:00:43That's why, for the last four years, I've been working with NHS kitchens
0:00:43 > 0:00:46to prove that serving good food IS possible.
0:00:48 > 0:00:5030 seconds. Come on, come on, come on!
0:00:50 > 0:00:52- You guys have made it.- Thank you!
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Together we've demonstrated patients CAN have tasty,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00nutritious food, without it costing any more money.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01What motivates me more now
0:01:01 > 0:01:05is the public's perception of the good that we've done.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06That means a lot.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10But it won't be feasible to bring about real change by tackling
0:01:10 > 0:01:12just one hospital at a time.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16People deserve decent food in the NHS. It's not a big ask.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21So now, my aim is to introduce a lasting improvement to
0:01:21 > 0:01:26hospital food for EVERY patient throughout the UK.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Mmm, yummy!
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Yeah. It's lovely!
0:01:30 > 0:01:32I'm massively passionate about food in hospitals.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Change can be achieved.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43I've made it my mission to put better
0:01:43 > 0:01:47food on the plates of as many patients as possible.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50I really enjoyed it and I could eat some more of it, honestly.
0:01:50 > 0:01:51It was very good.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54And the campaign is now really gathering pace.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Patients do deserve great food for hospitals.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59And we're doing a call-out.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02People can e-mail their experiences, but also pictures.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05'As part of my strategy, I invited over 20 NHS chefs
0:02:05 > 0:02:07'and catering managers to my home...'
0:02:07 > 0:02:09How you doing? You all right?
0:02:09 > 0:02:10'..to recruit them
0:02:10 > 0:02:14'to take the battle to the front line, where they work.'
0:02:14 > 0:02:18My main emphasis about this is to help...help the NHS.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21This is a huge, huge step forward.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24'It made me realise that for my plans to succeed,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26'I need to find a way to make the recipes
0:02:26 > 0:02:30'I demonstrated easily available to as many patients as possible.'
0:02:33 > 0:02:36And for that to happen, I need to give ALL hospitals access
0:02:36 > 0:02:39to my template for change...online.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41It involves a website.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45So I need to speak to somebody of how to develop a website.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48But I understand that not every hospital is the same.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51This is our children's unit.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54In Oldham, Lancashire, I've taken on the task of delivering
0:02:54 > 0:02:57nutritious versions of the food that kids really
0:02:57 > 0:02:59want to see on their menu in hospital.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Cheese pizza.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03- Cheese pizza.- Burger?
0:03:03 > 0:03:05- Yeah.- You want a burger?
0:03:05 > 0:03:08- Chicken nuggets.- Chicken nuggets.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11And in Harlow, Essex, where the kitchen's overspend is
0:03:11 > 0:03:14threatening the team's jobs, the recipes are already
0:03:14 > 0:03:16winning over patients and staff.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19I had the soup and I thought it was absolutely yummy.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Really scrummy.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25But the shadow of possible job losses still looms large.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28I don't want to put any more pressure on you
0:03:28 > 0:03:31but the key to it is to make it continue to work.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35All right? Then we're all going to be here in a year's time.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38And as my campaign continues, it's not just the staff
0:03:38 > 0:03:40feeling the pressure.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I think it's a monumental task, to be honest, of what we've set
0:03:43 > 0:03:47ourselves up to do, but trying to do this on a national scale
0:03:47 > 0:03:50is going to be harder than even I anticipated.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57If a reminder were needed why all this is so important,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I've been horrified to see the food some hospitals
0:04:00 > 0:04:03currently serve their patients.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Come on, boys.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09'After an appeal on TV and radio asking people to tell me their own
0:04:09 > 0:04:11'experience of patient meals,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14'e-mails and pictures have flooded in.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18'It's obvious that, like me, most people want things to change.'
0:04:18 > 0:04:21People are passionate about the food that they're eating.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22And it's how I want it.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I want to give the patients a voice
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and this is kind of the perfect opportunity for people to do it.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30This one's come in yesterday. What the hell is that?
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Macaroni cheese and potato. That's just what you want, innit(?)
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Carbohydrate, carbohydrate.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Somebody that was given an omelette, and I know what this is going to be.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44The frozen omelette. There are some really horrific ones in here.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47You know, you shouldn't have to live on that while you're in hospital.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50What is great is that we're seeing a little insight of exactly
0:04:50 > 0:04:52what's happening with the NHS.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55There's some great things that's happening and I've witnessed some of that myself.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58But there are some pretty horrific things in terms of food.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00So, on one hand, I'm kind of shocked.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02On the other hand, I'm not surprised.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05There's hospitals that I've been to and helped
0:05:05 > 0:05:09and we've managed to achieve fantastic results and great things.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12But they've actually got to let you into the hospital in the
0:05:12 > 0:05:15first place to be able to do it.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19It's a big risk for them, I know, but it's a positive change.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22One of the hospitals that has allowed me
0:05:22 > 0:05:26in to work with the team, in Harlow, is the Princess Alexandra.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Do you want to play around with the soup?
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Catering manager Andy is running a kitchen that operates with
0:05:33 > 0:05:36the smallest patient food budget I've ever come across.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40We're working off £2.72 a day to provide the patient with
0:05:40 > 0:05:43everything they eat and drink in that day.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46To sort of keep it within budget is extremely difficult.
0:05:46 > 0:05:52Six months into the financial year, they're already £19,000 in debt.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55To get them back into the black, I started with the hospital restaurant,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57introducing some new
0:05:57 > 0:06:01but affordable dishes that have already got the cash tills ringing.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05The Moroccan salad, it's just something different.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Makes a change from the usual salads we have.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09It's nice to have something home-made.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I've also challenged Andy
0:06:11 > 0:06:15and his team to cut their menu cycle from two weeks down to just one week.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19If they do that, they can become much more cost-effective
0:06:19 > 0:06:22by buying most of their ingredients in bulk.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25I want to get rid of one week.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27The look on your face... All right?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31'With not long to go until the new one-week menu is rolled out
0:06:31 > 0:06:35'to the patients, I want to check on the team's progress.'
0:06:35 > 0:06:39What happened since your last visit - we sat round and we picked
0:06:39 > 0:06:42what we think are the most popular dishes to keep on the menu.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45You've got your chicken chasseur, which is your recipe,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48we put the vegetable pasta bake, we put sticky toffee pudding on.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51We've got the cottage pie, which is your recipe.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53All very popular dishes.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59I really think there is scope to make savings on a one-week menu cycle.
0:06:59 > 0:07:00I really do.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I'm impressed with the way Andy's team is embracing
0:07:05 > 0:07:08such a change in the way they work.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10This is full of calories and protein.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12You've got cream, butter, the lot.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13We'll feed up 'em up today!
0:07:15 > 0:07:18But if the finances can't be brought under control,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21the hospital trust may decide to close the kitchen down
0:07:21 > 0:07:23and switch to a cook-chill catering system,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27where the meals are made off-site before being heated on the wards.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32To me, that's a heartbreaking prospect,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34as there's no doubting the passion
0:07:34 > 0:07:36that chefs like Neil and Yvonne bring.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39As a local guy that's lived here for 44 years,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42you do want it to be the best, and because you work here,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44you have a certain amount of pride.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47If it's all for nothing, it's quite upsetting, really, you know?
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- A lot of hospitals have a lot more staff than us.- Yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51A lot more staff.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55And we still turn them meals out regardless.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56We're here, we're dedicated.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59I mean, I bet there's not anyone in here that didn't start 10 minutes,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- 20 minutes before their time today. - Yeah.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07I'm hoping that my ideas will boost the team's chances of being able
0:08:07 > 0:08:10to stay cooking in this kitchen for many years to come.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I'm trying to streamline everything
0:08:13 > 0:08:15so we've reduced the menu down to a weekly menu cycle.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18We've put on their favourite dishes, some of my dishes as well,
0:08:18 > 0:08:19and that should be more cost-effective.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22But the most important thing is to make the restaurant more profitable
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and by doing that, you have to actually serve the food
0:08:25 > 0:08:27that the customers want.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32A few pieces of chicken on there.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35After speaking to the staff who use the restaurant,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I've come up with some fast and healthy recipes
0:08:38 > 0:08:41that I think will generate extra cash.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44We've just made a salad for 55p.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47And you're going to sell it for about three quid.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Andy's second-in-command is Jonathan
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and he's been overseeing my plans for the restaurant.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- How's it been going, then? - Very well, actually.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59I mean, the salad you made up, the bulgur wheat salad, went very well.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Yeah.- So it's nice you've introduced some different types of salad.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Put chicken in here, you've got a chicken salad, and then I've got a Chicken Caesar...
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- Right, OK. - ..for people as well, so...
0:09:09 > 0:09:11They do look very nice. I imagine they'd go down very well.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14So has anything changed in terms of the profitability of the restaurant yet?
0:09:14 > 0:09:16The takings have gone up.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20People are enjoying what's going through the restaurant. Definitely good feedback.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22That's good.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Out in the restaurant, I'm also pleased to see
0:09:24 > 0:09:27that Jonathan has listened to my advice to drive up profit
0:09:27 > 0:09:29by focusing on the sandwiches.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Cutting down on the bought-in varieties
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and making fresh ones on site is much better.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37These should sell well,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40bringing much more money to the catering department.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42And this has been great. You've dramatically cut down on this.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45We reduced the amount of sandwiches, like you suggested.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Home-made rolls have gone down very, very well.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50These are selling. I've just been here a couple of minutes
0:09:50 > 0:09:53and we've already sold three of these off the shelf.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Every day we run out of them. So they're very popular.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58And cost-wise, you're selling these at £2.40.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59These must cost £1.20, £1.30?
0:09:59 > 0:10:02There's a 50% mark-up on the sandwiches we buy in.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04And what about the ones that we're making?
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I reckon, well, 150%.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10We're making definitely more profit on the ones we make, definitely.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14It's great to see the team so enthusiastic about change.
0:10:14 > 0:10:20But they've come up against a problem that could scupper some of our plans.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24They're having trouble getting hold of the ingredients they need from their usual suppliers.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Sometimes we can't get the food you suggested from the suppliers.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- I end up going to supermarkets to get it.- Why is that, then?
0:10:30 > 0:10:33They don't stock it. Basically, they don't stock it.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Yeah. Can you drop that in tomorrow for us?
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Yeah, please, that'd be brilliant.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Also, the key ingredient for my favourite soup recipe
0:10:42 > 0:10:45is proving particularly tricky to track down.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48The suppliers, some of them are running out of bits and pieces?
0:10:48 > 0:10:53We know that butternut squash is not an easy product to get hold of very quickly.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56But the soups we've put on are the ones that we can get quite readily.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59But it's been very interesting and it's a work in progress.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05The issue of procurement, how and where a hospital sources its food,
0:11:05 > 0:11:07is one I've come up against before.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12Kitchen staff can feel they have no flexibility or bargaining power.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15And local suppliers are often put off pitching for business
0:11:15 > 0:11:16because of red tape.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21That's a shame, as I believe if hospitals work with producers
0:11:21 > 0:11:24in their area, it can boost the local economy.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28All of these are out of stock at the moment.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32For the team at Harlow, procurement problems are getting in the way
0:11:32 > 0:11:34of them making the changes we've agreed.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36And I find it unacceptable
0:11:36 > 0:11:40they're being forced to pick up things from their local supermarket.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43That will cost me more money, unfortunately.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I don't understand why it should be so hard for them
0:11:47 > 0:11:48to get hold of what they want.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51So I'm keen to find out more about the challenges hospital
0:11:51 > 0:11:54caterers face with their supply chain.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Well, I've heard so many stories about procurement in the NHS
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and how difficult it can be to get supplies,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02so I've taken it upon myself to come to a wholesaler
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and find out just how difficult it really is.
0:12:06 > 0:12:11Roger Coulston is the boss of a fruit and vegetable wholesalers in Lancashire.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16His company specialises in providing prepared veg to the catering industry.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18You name it, he can dice it.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21And you can do... I mean, I've seen you've got sliced, you've got diced.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23You can do whatever shape you want?
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Yeah. We do anything from 2mm up to 20mm on diced.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30You've got cauliflower in there, so you can do cauliflower,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32squash, anything.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33- Anything.- Anything.- Anything.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Roger's company is on the list of approved NHS suppliers,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41which means it should be straightforward
0:12:41 > 0:12:44for a hospital caterer to buy what he has to offer.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49It's just a shame he doesn't deliver as far south as Harlow,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52as he has exactly what the team at the Princess Alexandra
0:12:52 > 0:12:55have been struggling to find.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57One of the main keys to what I've doing with the NHS
0:12:57 > 0:13:00for the last, certainly three to four years,
0:13:00 > 0:13:03is this soup, and that's diced, ready made veg.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07You know, when you're catering for 300, 400 soups, for instance,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09you don't want to have to pay somebody to peel it,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11stand there peeling it all day.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Our facilities here are far superior to what they'd have in hospitals
0:13:14 > 0:13:17for doing this job, so it allows them to produce...
0:13:17 > 0:13:18I can vouch for that.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25With Roger's company offering prepared veg like this,
0:13:25 > 0:13:28it shouldn't be an issue for Andy that his regular supplier
0:13:28 > 0:13:31can't provide the diced butternut squash he needs.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34If this place is anything to go by, it sounds like he should be
0:13:34 > 0:13:38able to find plenty of other wholesalers capable of stepping in.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42If I got five hospitals now picking up the phone
0:13:42 > 0:13:44and ordering 40, 50 kilos of diced veg...
0:13:44 > 0:13:46They'd have it tomorrow morning before lunch.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55Getting through these supply issues can be easier for hospitals than they realise.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59But it can be frustrated by something that, in my experience,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03isn't a strong point of the NHS, and that's the communication.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Just brought a bit of produce.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09The likelihood is that Andy in Harlow has no idea
0:14:09 > 0:14:13that there are suppliers like Roger who are able supply him
0:14:13 > 0:14:14with exactly what he needs.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19If I was to look at other hospitals, you could supply them.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21- Yeah.- You could supply them as well.- Yeah.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23And it'd be so easy for them to pick up the phone to you
0:14:23 > 0:14:25because you've already got the accreditation.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Basically, the NHS supply list, if you look on it,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32there's about 25 different companies the length and breadth of Britain.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Helping hospitals get through the procurement process
0:14:38 > 0:14:42is one of the things I'm hoping the website I'm setting up can address.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44That's a serious bit of kit as well.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- Yeah. Yeah.- I can place on there all the information
0:14:47 > 0:14:52hospital caterers need to know about the supply options open to them.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Because it doesn't have to be as inflexible as they think.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00What's fantastic about coming to a place like this, it gets chefs excited.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03And stuff like these, we've got carrots, we've got this.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06You know, both of these come from my neck of the woods in Yorkshire
0:15:06 > 0:15:08and it's right on our doorstep.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12And having it pre-prepared like what they do in a factory like this
0:15:12 > 0:15:15is just such a bonus for the NHS.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19And I only wish more hospitals would know about places like this
0:15:19 > 0:15:23because if they did, maybe we'd get soup right across the country.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Knowing how to find their way through issues like these
0:15:28 > 0:15:31is vital for hospital caterers trying to get their patients
0:15:31 > 0:15:34the best food they possibly can on a tight budget.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38There's a cherry cheesecake there.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Bed 24.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Until now, like most people,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45I'd always assumed that's a responsibility that finishes
0:15:45 > 0:15:48as soon as a patient goes home.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50But in the next hospital I've been invited to,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54the staff have something in mind that's making me think again.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Well, since I started this project,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58a lot of hospitals have come in contact with me
0:15:58 > 0:16:00about different ideas that they've got.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03And an interesting one that I'm about to go and visit is in Chesterfield.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06And it's going to show where, hopefully,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09where does food service in the hospital end?
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Does it end in the ward, does it end when you go home?
0:16:13 > 0:16:16I don't know and I'm intrigued to find out exactly what it is.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21With over 600 beds, Chesterfield Royal in Derbyshire
0:16:21 > 0:16:26is a busy hospital, treating around 40,000 in-patients a year.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29The staff here have come up with an initiative that would take
0:16:29 > 0:16:32the provision of good quality food beyond the wards
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and into the homes of patients once they've been discharged.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40They've asked me to help them crack it, and I want to find out more,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43so I'm here to meet head of retail Kim
0:16:43 > 0:16:45and director of facilities Andrew.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47- Kim, nice to meet you. - Hi. You all right?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49- Andrew.- Hi.- Good to see you.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51This is all pretty new, by the looks of things.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55May 2012 we opened it.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57So what do you want my help on?
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Right, what we're trying to look for,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02we want to provide the patient,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05any elderly people that have been in hospital for some time,
0:17:05 > 0:17:09the facility when they're discharged from hospital
0:17:09 > 0:17:11that they can have some kind of grocery pack.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14- Yeah.- Obviously, when they leave hospital,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16they won't be able to go to the supermarket,
0:17:16 > 0:17:17- they might not have family.- Yeah.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21So we want to see if we can provide the basics. Bread, milk,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24things like that, that they can be discharged with
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- at a reasonable price. - So the fundamental thing,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- we've got to have a look at what you've got first.- Come on, then.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33So the plan is to offer patients about to be discharged
0:17:33 > 0:17:37a simple bag of groceries from the on-site shop.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41My instinct is that this is an idea with real potential.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43But for it to work, the shop will have to stock
0:17:43 > 0:17:45the sort of essential items you'd need
0:17:45 > 0:17:48if you were leaving the wards to continue your recovery at home.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52It really is like a mini supermarket.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54You've got everything you need.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57With bread, milk and all the other basics you'd expect,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00it looks like this place has it covered.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05The thing is, we need to be able to provide to the patient
0:18:05 > 0:18:08- whenever they're discharged. People can be discharged at any time of the day.- Yeah.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12So whatever we decide to put in the bag, the box,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14whatever you want to call it,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17we need to be able to pick it and pack it from the shop.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21So who decided on this? Whose idea was it, and why?
0:18:21 > 0:18:23We were thinking that there's a lot of people,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25at the point at which they're discharged,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28particularly around winter when it's not easy to get out and about,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31who may not immediately have food provisions in at home.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34I think it's a fantastic idea. And how many of these boxes or bags,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37or whatever we're going to call it, do you think we're going to sell?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- That's a good question. - We don't know.- Right.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Because we've got nothing to go on,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45because nobody's ever done it before.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- Never say never, that's the thing! - Yeah.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51If we can pull this idea together, it could make a big difference
0:18:51 > 0:18:54to many of the people passing through the hospital.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58But what to offer in the bags depends on the sort of patients
0:18:58 > 0:19:00who'd take up the service.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02So it's up to the wards to have a chat with Gary,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04one of the matrons here,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08who's probably best placed to know who this offer might appeal to.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11What is the age of the patients, roughly, that you're looking after?
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I mean, it can be very mixed,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16but the main age range is between 80 to 90s.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18A more older clientele.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21I'd suspect the idea you're coming in with would benefit them,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23obviously, more than the younger people.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26And their average length of stay, what is that?
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Would it be weeks, would it be days?
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Some people are days, some people tend to be longer.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33You know, it's about a patient being safe and that we're happy
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and they're happy when they go that they're going to be able to manage.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Quantity wise, how many do you think would take it up?
0:19:39 > 0:19:41From my ward, I would think you're talking maybe ten a week.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45That's quite a lot of people across the wards.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47We'd better meet some of the patients, then.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54With the hospital treating around 15,000 over-65s a year,
0:19:54 > 0:19:56it sounds like there's a big potential market
0:19:56 > 0:19:59for Kim's home food bags.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02But until we speak to the patients, we don't know if it's a service
0:20:02 > 0:20:06they'd be interested in, and willing or able to pay for.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10What we're looking at trying to do is provide patients the bare essentials
0:20:10 > 0:20:13to have a cup of tea, maybe a sandwich
0:20:13 > 0:20:15and something to eat, but the same price as a supermarket.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17That's fair. That's a good idea.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19It could be absolutely anybody.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22If your family is at work and you got discharged today,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25"I ain't got no milk, I can't have a drink until..." You know?
0:20:25 > 0:20:28It's looking at the patient care all the way.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29All the way through.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Price-wise, what do you think people would pay for it? A fiver?
0:20:33 > 0:20:34I should think so.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36A fiver for a basket of food?
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Because it's going to last two or three days, or something like that.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Yeah, yeah.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44What's the average length of stay for you?
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Average, probably six or seven weeks.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49That's a long time, then.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52You'd need basic food items, wouldn't you,
0:20:52 > 0:20:57like you say, just to make a cup of tea and sandwich, a slice of toast.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Roger, what have you got at home to eat when you get back home?
0:21:00 > 0:21:04When I get back home, I'll have to rely on someone
0:21:04 > 0:21:08getting me some gear in or organise something,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10which isn't easy.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Right. This is where Kim might step in.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15You know, if you've got something, sort of...
0:21:15 > 0:21:19just bits of staples to go with,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23then you'd be on a winner straightaway.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27People on their own don't do big shops, Mr Martin.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- It's little and often.- Little and often, that's for me, anyway.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33But, obviously, with your knee like this, you're going to struggle
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- for the first couple of weeks. - I am, yeah.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38So I should get stocked up a little, yeah.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40So that would actually benefit you.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42- If we did maybe two different ideas.- Yeah.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44So if you wanted to spend, I don't know,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47- 20 quid, then you've got enough for 6 days.- That's right, yeah.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50- Quite good, isn't it?- Excellent. - You think it's a good idea?
0:21:50 > 0:21:51I think it's a marvellous idea.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55So both the patients and the staff
0:21:55 > 0:21:57think the home food bag idea could work.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01But the success of a service like this may hinge
0:22:01 > 0:22:04on the willingness of the hospital's transport services
0:22:04 > 0:22:06to carry not only discharged patients home,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08but also their shopping.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Non-emergency transport at Chesterfield Royal
0:22:12 > 0:22:15is provided by a company called Ambuline.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17To find out if they would support the idea,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Kim and I had a chat with Sean, one of their care assistants.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- Most of the patients we take home are of an older generation.- Yeah.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27So mobility is limited
0:22:27 > 0:22:30and sort of getting out to do the shopping, you rely on other people.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34- A lot of them are worried about going home and being left alone.- Yeah.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37So we have to reassure them that, you know,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40care services are in place, but they're very limited.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45It sounds like Sean sees the benefits of the idea
0:22:45 > 0:22:47for the patients he takes home.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50And it might even make the job that he and his colleagues do
0:22:50 > 0:22:53a little bit more straightforward.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55One thing that we do come across quite often,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57especially patients who have been in quite a while,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02- is that we're very often asked to call for provisions.- Really?
0:23:02 > 0:23:04- So bread or milk.- Yeah.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08So if they've limited mobility then, yes, it's a very good idea.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Is there no issue with room or anything like that?
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Sometimes we have issues with room, but we often work round that.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17- Oh, good.- Something for two or three days would help massively, I think.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- Definitely.- Certainly for the instant bit when you guys have gone.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Definitely, yeah.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29With the hospital transport behind it, it looks like Kim has
0:23:29 > 0:23:32the logistical support she needs to make this service happen.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34So now it's over to me
0:23:34 > 0:23:38to help work out how to make the home food bags a reality.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Well, Kim, you have people that definitely think it's a great idea.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Yeah, and that would definitely use the service.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46I would pitch two ideas.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50- I would do a £5 box and a £10 box.- Yeah.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54- The second choice is more money, but there's more in it.- Yeah.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Some people are in here a week,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59so they've got certain things at home
0:23:59 > 0:24:00they might have in their fridge.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Some people have been walking round who are in here six or seven weeks.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06- Yeah.- So they've then got nothing.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09- So five quid's worth of food is not a lot.- No, no.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Some of these people, as you know when we walked round the wards,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14are not going to be able to move even when they get home
0:24:14 > 0:24:15for another week.
0:24:15 > 0:24:22I certainly think in the offer there needs to be probably a soup,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24probably a pasta.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27It's got to be bread. It's got to be eggs.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28- It's got to be milk.- Yeah.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32And I think you're not far off your five quid.
0:24:32 > 0:24:33Yeah, absolutely.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36And they're easy for you to get as part our current contract,
0:24:36 > 0:24:37which is great.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40How you package that is something that we can work on.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43I think you're probably going to sell 20, 30 a week.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46But I think it's one of those things that when people know about it,
0:24:46 > 0:24:47it's going to grow.
0:24:47 > 0:24:5120, 30 people we've helped, if you look at it that way,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54- that's a massive number. - Better than nothing, yeah.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56If it improves the patients' experience,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- it's worth doing for any number of people, to be honest.- Yeah.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I think the project that they're doing here is a fantastic idea.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05The one group of people it is benefitting is the elderly
0:25:05 > 0:25:08and I think that's of vital importance.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10You know when you get dropped off that evening,
0:25:10 > 0:25:15at least you've got a meal you can eat, whether that's a soup or some bread.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18It's going to benefit those patients so much when they get back home
0:25:18 > 0:25:22and the door closes - it can be quite a lonely existence.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28At the opposite end of the age spectrum to the patients
0:25:28 > 0:25:30who need help in Chesterfield are the children on the wards
0:25:30 > 0:25:33of the Royal Oldham in Lancashire.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Yesterday, I visited the hospital to see if I could improve the food
0:25:36 > 0:25:38being served to the young patients,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42as a way of lifting their spirits during their time on the wards.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45This is our children's unit.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46After speaking to the kids,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49I was left in no doubt what they'd like to see on the menu,
0:25:49 > 0:25:50given the choice.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- Chicken nuggets.- Chicken nuggets.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Cheese pizza.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57You want a burger?
0:25:57 > 0:25:59In fact, the ward's chattiest patient, Harry,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02was very clear that a certain sort of cheese pizza
0:26:02 > 0:26:05should be served at meal times.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07There's a lot of cheeses in the world, though.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10- What cheese do you want on your pizza?- The sprinkly one.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- The sprinkly one?- Yeah.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15A diet of kid's classics like those might not sound
0:26:15 > 0:26:19the healthiest on menus,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22but the hospital's dieticians believe with the right recipes,
0:26:22 > 0:26:23I can give the children a treat
0:26:23 > 0:26:26whilst still keeping things nutritious.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28We need to be promoting healthy eating,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31but you also need to think that these children are poorly
0:26:31 > 0:26:34and we need to be giving them food they are familiar with
0:26:34 > 0:26:35and that they will eat.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- It's a difficult one, this, isn't it?- It is!
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Today, I'm back in the kitchen with head chef Chris
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and catering services manager Stephen.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54With lunch just a few hours away, we need to come up
0:26:54 > 0:26:57with fresh, nutritious versions of the dishes
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I've promised for the kids' menu.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Right, Chris, I feel like we're both going back to school now.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06The chicken nuggets and burgers should hopefully be no problem,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09but the pizza could be a challenge.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11The food is transported to the children's ward
0:27:11 > 0:27:13using a heated trolley.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16If pizza is overheated, it can dry out quite quickly,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20which means it could be ruined when it comes to serving it.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23The pizza is going to be a little bit of an issue.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25I'm not quite sure if it's going to come out OK.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28But that's what the kids really wanted, so I thought we'd have a go with that,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31we'll play around with it, see if it works in the oven.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33And I've got a little trick up my sleeve
0:27:33 > 0:27:34that I'm hoping might just help.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37300g of semolina.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Should help it when it gets to the hotplate.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I'm pretty confident with it.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48The great thing about semolina flour is that the recipes it's added to
0:27:48 > 0:27:52bake on the outside, but stay slightly moist on the inside.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56That means when the cooked food is loaded onto the serving trolleys,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58my semolina-dough mix should buy the pizzas
0:27:58 > 0:28:02a little bit of extra time to stop them from drying out.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05That's the plan, anyway, although I'm not sure Chris
0:28:05 > 0:28:09and Stephen are convinced it will work.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13The crust of the pizza could dry up, the cheese, again, could dry up,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15so we'll just have to have a look at it.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18It's going to have to stay under the lights for a while, as well,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22while the kids are coming in and ordering the food, but we'll see.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26You doing it more of a deep pan?
0:28:26 > 0:28:29I thought we'd go for a thin, really.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- Thin?- Unless you want to go for a deep...
0:28:32 > 0:28:35The thin one is going to dry out, isn't it?
0:28:35 > 0:28:38I'm going to split the difference and go for a medium one.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42I can't believe we're having a conversation about
0:28:42 > 0:28:44should we go deep pan or thin and crispy.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46THEY LAUGH
0:28:46 > 0:28:50I'm using all the techniques I know to ensure these pizzas make it
0:28:50 > 0:28:54up to the ward looking and tasting as fresh as possible!
0:28:54 > 0:28:56That's better!
0:28:56 > 0:29:00And if we succeed, there's no reason why pizza can't become
0:29:00 > 0:29:02a regular feature on the menu.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05- This is something we can do, though, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06It's pretty straightforward, isn't it?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Yeah. It's simple enough, isn't it?
0:29:08 > 0:29:12A bit of cheese. Sprinkly cheese.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17I'm just going to put some green stuff on, just to annoy Harry.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20See, all we want now is a motorbike with a little box on the back
0:29:20 > 0:29:23- and we've got a secondary business. - Yeah, definitely.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28- Comes in and just takes the glory, doesn't he?- There you go.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32Did you see that? He's just basically sat there and watched us
0:29:32 > 0:29:33and he used to work in a pizzeria.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37I know. He worked for about five years in a pizza place.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41With the pizzas done, it's time to switch our attention to the
0:29:41 > 0:29:44other favourites we hope will lift the kids' spirits
0:29:44 > 0:29:47and ensure they eat while they're in hospital.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49When was the last time you made nuggets, chef?
0:29:49 > 0:29:53It's been a while, to be honest.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55People are going to be watching this going,
0:29:55 > 0:29:58"Chicken nuggets?" But that's what kids want to eat.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Really, particularly when they're in this ward, when you asked them,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03that and pizza and burgers.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06If you do make it yourself, you know exactly what's in it.
0:30:06 > 0:30:13So flour, egg and breadcrumbs. There's nothing else.
0:30:13 > 0:30:14Chicken nugget.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Yeah. It's all natural. Natural breadcrumbs.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20So our deceptively healthy chicken nuggets are being made
0:30:20 > 0:30:22with all fresh ingredients,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25and it's the same story for the burgers.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28The great thing about these is that they've got no salt,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- just black pepper.- Yeah. - No egg. Nothing.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36So we're not only delivering the food that the kids want,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39we're also making sure they get the nutrition that the
0:30:39 > 0:30:42dieticians in the hospital have asked for.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45So all we've got to do now is cook the burgers, cook the nuggets
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- and then done.- Yeah.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49While we're getting busy in the kitchen,
0:30:49 > 0:30:51up on the children's ward,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53the fiercest critic I'm ever likely to cook for
0:30:53 > 0:30:55is waiting to see if I can deliver.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02James asked me yesterday what my favourite food was and I said pizza!
0:31:02 > 0:31:04I've eaten lots of pizzas in my time
0:31:04 > 0:31:07and I know what the difference is between a good pizza and a bad pizza.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11Bad bit is if it's burnt. Good if it's not burnt.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14With my reputation on the line,
0:31:14 > 0:31:17let's hope Harry's impressed by what we've done for him.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Mmm!
0:31:21 > 0:31:24The weird thing is, we could make that, put it in there,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27walk it to the ward, put it onto the worktop and it would be great.
0:31:27 > 0:31:32But it goes into this trolley. That's what affects these things.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35As our food is loaded into the dreaded serving trolleys,
0:31:35 > 0:31:37it's wheeled up to the children's ward,
0:31:37 > 0:31:38and we've got an anxious wait
0:31:38 > 0:31:41before finding out what condition it will be in
0:31:41 > 0:31:43when it's served to the kids.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46I've got to say, it's burnt, I'm not having it.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54You told me yesterday...
0:31:54 > 0:31:57You told me yesterday, what pizza did you want?
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Cheese, ham, pepperoni.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04- See, I thought it was pineapple, so I put pineapple on it.- No!
0:32:04 > 0:32:08- And olives.- Eugh! Yuck, yuck!
0:32:08 > 0:32:09Before the food can be served,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11it's given one last boost by the trolley
0:32:11 > 0:32:13to get it back up to the right temperature.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15And it's this part of the process that
0:32:15 > 0:32:18I fear will dry out the kids' pizzas.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22- You're just pressing the button. - Yeah, we've got about three minutes to warm it up.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26This is the bit that ruins it. We've got one minute!
0:32:26 > 0:32:30- One minute?- I don't know who's more nervous. Me or these two.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34When the food is finally ready, it's good news.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36It looks like the semolina flour I added to the pizza dough
0:32:36 > 0:32:39has helped it to survive the reheat.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42And the kids can't wait to get stuck in.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47Oh, pizza! Yummy! It looks good.
0:32:47 > 0:32:48Does that look all right for you?
0:32:48 > 0:32:53Yeah. I know exactly what bit I'm going to have. That bit.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55- Can I have that slice?- Which one?
0:32:55 > 0:32:57The one in the corner.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Chicken, mushy peas and gravy.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Where should I sit?
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Mmm! Yummy!
0:33:06 > 0:33:07Best pizza ever!
0:33:09 > 0:33:10Amazing!
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Now, they seem to be really enjoying it in there.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Now, I know it's only burgers, chicken nuggets and pizzas,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20but it really is so important to put a smile on their young faces.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23They're going through so much at a young age, being in hospital,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26and to see them eat something that they really enjoy
0:33:26 > 0:33:29makes this job more than worthwhile.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35While the kids tuck in, I invite the hospital staff to try the food.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39Made with all fresh ingredients, I want them to appreciate that
0:33:39 > 0:33:43there's plenty of sound nutrition to be found in recipes like these.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Try one. Just try one.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Normally, when you get chicken nuggets, it's reconstituted chicken.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Oh, that's lovely. That's chicken breast, that.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- Can I try one, Jamie? - Yeah, course you can.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59And Harry's enjoying it so much, it looks like I've found
0:33:59 > 0:34:02a way of almost silencing him for once.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04- What do you think of the pizza? - Mm-hmm.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- Would you come back for it every day, then?- Mm-hmm.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09- Just pizza?- Mm.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11So, if we just called it from now on Harry's Pepperoni Pizza,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14- would you be happy with that? - Mm-hmm.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16So it's job done.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19I've managed to deliver the familiar foods that the kids love
0:34:19 > 0:34:21and also that the staff here recognise as being vital
0:34:21 > 0:34:25in providing comfort to their young patients at a trying time.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29High-five!
0:34:29 > 0:34:30By using fresh ingredients,
0:34:30 > 0:34:34we've kept the emphasis firmly on food, and it's not only tasty,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36but nutritious too.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39The really great news for the children here, though,
0:34:39 > 0:34:43is that it looks like the new menu is here to stay.
0:34:43 > 0:34:47The ideas that James has put forward are well doable.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49They seemed to go really well on the wards.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51The kids seemed to really like them.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54So there's no reason why we can't introduce that to the menu.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56The kids have enjoyed it.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58They've come in and they've left with smiles on their faces,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00and that's all we really want.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03Out of all the stuff I've done for the last four to five years
0:35:03 > 0:35:06in the NHS, that was probably the hardest criticism
0:35:06 > 0:35:08that I was going to get from the kids.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13They're honest, and that's what you want. Above all else, you've got to give them what they want,
0:35:13 > 0:35:15so people sort of tuning into this going.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17"Burgers, pizzas, chicken nuggets?"
0:35:17 > 0:35:19But you've made it yourself, you know exactly what's in it.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22The nutritionists say that's OK, that's what they want
0:35:22 > 0:35:24and, let's face it, give the kids something to eat.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Far better having that than having nothing.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Pizzas won't solve everything,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34but ideas like that, as well as the food bag initiative at Chesterfield,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37show that alongside all the bad stuff with hospital food,
0:35:37 > 0:35:39there are plenty of creative solutions
0:35:39 > 0:35:42already happening within the NHS.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44There we go.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48But it's no good keeping all that to myself.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51I'm keen to give these ideas a wider platform,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53putting them alongside my own techniques and recipes
0:35:53 > 0:35:55for every hospital to share.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59That's the point of publishing my plans for change online.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02But there's a lot to do to get things off the ground.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05This website actually seemed like a good idea at the time,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08and I still think it is, but it's a logistical nightmare
0:36:08 > 0:36:12to try and put together, cos I've got organisations that all really
0:36:12 > 0:36:16need to speak to each other and be a part of this happening, so the
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Hospital Caterers Association, the Royal College of Nursing,
0:36:19 > 0:36:21as well as all the hospitals that I've been working
0:36:21 > 0:36:23with up and down the country.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26And when it's ready to go, I'm going to make sure everyone
0:36:26 > 0:36:27knows about it.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30So I'm going to invite representatives from as many
0:36:30 > 0:36:32hospitals as possible to come to an event
0:36:32 > 0:36:36where I can launch the website, and bring together as many of them
0:36:36 > 0:36:40as I can to properly discuss the future of hospital food.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Nobody has actually brought all those organisations together
0:36:44 > 0:36:46and into one place to talk.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Doing it is easier said than done,
0:36:49 > 0:36:54and, I've got to be honest with you, it's an organisational nightmare.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57The thing about this is hard work's going to pay off.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00If we can get all these organisations together
0:37:00 > 0:37:04in one room, I think massive things can come because of this.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08One of the key issues that will be up for discussion at the event
0:37:08 > 0:37:12is the increasing shift within the NHS to off-site catering.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17Around 60% of UK hospitals now feed their patients by bringing
0:37:17 > 0:37:19in pre-prepared meals from facilities
0:37:19 > 0:37:23that aren't traditional kitchens.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Bed five, please. Yeah.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30The main off-site method most hospitals use
0:37:30 > 0:37:32is the cook-chill system.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Meals are made in a factory kitchen,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37then blast-chilled to increase the shelf life
0:37:37 > 0:37:39before being delivered to a hospital,
0:37:39 > 0:37:42then reheated on the wards.
0:37:42 > 0:37:43Cream potato.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Traditional kitchens like the one I'm working with in Harlow,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51the Princess Alexandra, are in decline.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55And the possibility of a switch to cook-chill, which trusts
0:37:55 > 0:37:57can assume is more cost-effective, is something that
0:37:57 > 0:38:02catering manager Andy and head chef John have to live with every day.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04How do you see the future of this unit here?
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Hopefully, I'd like to think it will stay traditional.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09With the ideas you're coming forward with,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12we can progress the restaurant and make it more profitable.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14But you've constantly got that threat?
0:38:14 > 0:38:17You're always going to have it, James. I don't think that will ever go away.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21- You don't think it will ever go away!- I don't think they'll just park it and go away.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Every year, they will want you to be making sure
0:38:23 > 0:38:26you're running a cost-effective department.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31So how much do you know about this issue with the trust here
0:38:31 > 0:38:33and the cook-chill situation?
0:38:33 > 0:38:35Mainly, it's a cost-cutting exercise.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38I don't think it does save money, to be honest.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42The negative of it is, I think when it changes, you'll never go back.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45I mean, if you have a cook-chill unit,
0:38:45 > 0:38:47this all goes and it'll never come back
0:38:47 > 0:38:50because it's a big investment to put it all back in again.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- Once it happens...- That's it. - ..that's it...
0:38:54 > 0:38:58..which is detriment to the patients and the staff who work here.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01The catering staff obviously believe that the food produced
0:39:01 > 0:39:04in a traditional kitchen like this is a much better way
0:39:04 > 0:39:07of providing for patients in the hospital.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10After the successes I've had elsewhere, I agree with them.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14And it shouldn't have to cost any more money.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18- There you go.- Thank you. - All right?- Yeah, lovely.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20It's not just the catering staff
0:39:20 > 0:39:23who want to preserve Harlow's traditional kitchen.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26The hospital's dieticians would also be sorry
0:39:26 > 0:39:28if it ends up having to close.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30We don't actually favour cook-chill at all.
0:39:30 > 0:39:34We're very, very proud of our team here in Princess Alexandra.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37They do a fantastic job and one of the things that we get reported
0:39:37 > 0:39:41back to us constantly is the fact that we have the flexibility.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Nutrition's so important for people's clinical outcomes.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47So if they eat well, often they do a lot better clinically.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49And if this unit went cook-chill,
0:39:49 > 0:39:52you wouldn't be involved in the recipes at all,
0:39:52 > 0:39:55because they would be made off-site, brought in, reheated -
0:39:55 > 0:39:58- you don't have a choice.- No.
0:39:58 > 0:40:00I'm assuming this is in a plastic tray,
0:40:00 > 0:40:04it's cooked, then it's chilled and then reheated without stirring.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07So when you pull that lid off,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09it's not going to be the greatest gastronomic experience
0:40:09 > 0:40:10in your life, is it, really?
0:40:10 > 0:40:13No. That's where you come in. You're the expert.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15That's not where I come in. That's where I go home!
0:40:15 > 0:40:17THEY LAUGH
0:40:17 > 0:40:20I think what you've got here is so beneficial to you.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22I think the guys in there
0:40:22 > 0:40:25and the team in there are just absolutely off-the-scale.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26You're so lucky.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30Look after these guys in here, because they do an amazing job.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Other hospital staff also recognise the contribution
0:40:32 > 0:40:35that Andy's team makes to patient welfare.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Nancy is the director of nursing here at Harlow.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40Now, tell me about cook-chill,
0:40:40 > 0:40:43because I haven't really experienced it as yet.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45In terms of nutrition,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49does it benefit you in terms of doing what you're doing in your job?
0:40:49 > 0:40:53I would say, and I've had lots of tasting sessions with patients
0:40:53 > 0:40:56and public representatives and staff members,
0:40:56 > 0:40:59what it says on the packet invariably is not what's delivered.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00It doesn't taste like that.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04It's also quite inflexible with what we can offer.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07How do you feel about the importance of having your own kitchen here?
0:41:07 > 0:41:11I wouldn't swap it. Many organisations, years on,
0:41:11 > 0:41:15are moving back to wanting to cook in their own hospitals.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18For me, that means we are delivering the service that the patients
0:41:18 > 0:41:22and the local population expect us to.
0:41:22 > 0:41:23It is a measure of quality.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29It seems most of the people I speak to about hospital food
0:41:29 > 0:41:33much prefer a traditional kitchen to meals made off-site.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36As yet, I haven't had the chance to see for myself exactly
0:41:36 > 0:41:39how cook-chill food is produced.
0:41:39 > 0:41:44But now, finally, that's about to change.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48I've been trying for the last three to four years,
0:41:48 > 0:41:50trying to get into one of these cook-chill units,
0:41:50 > 0:41:52to really see what it's all about.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55There's been a lot written about it, there's been a lot talked about it -
0:41:55 > 0:41:57some negative, some positive.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00We have got some good news. One unit in particular
0:42:00 > 0:42:02has allowed me to go through the doors,
0:42:02 > 0:42:05so I will get to see first-hand what the issues are
0:42:05 > 0:42:07and whether I'm able to help them.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10It's one of the most exciting things for me throughout this campaign,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13because we didn't want to leave them out,
0:42:13 > 0:42:15because it's an integral part of the NHS.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Nearly 60-odd per cent of all the food served in the NHS
0:42:18 > 0:42:19comes from one of these units.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22And if you can get through the door and change a little thing,
0:42:22 > 0:42:24you're going to change a whole big part of the picture.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Next time,
0:42:27 > 0:42:29some of my chef mates return
0:42:29 > 0:42:32to lend a hand in my battle to improve patient meals.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34Soup has gone down a storm.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37The salads have been absolutely fantastic.
0:42:37 > 0:42:38The feedback was good, the vibe was good
0:42:38 > 0:42:41and they've maintained that level.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44In Harlow, the pressure grows as the team gets ready to roll out
0:42:44 > 0:42:46the new one-week menu.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50There's nothing worse than the morale going down,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53because you don't know if you've got a job at the end of the month.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Oh, yeah, awful.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58And I find out for myself if cook-chill food
0:42:58 > 0:43:01is really as bad as I've always believed.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05This is traditional cooking on a large scale.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08The negative side of it is, you don't get any variety, really.