0:00:02 > 0:00:05Over the last decade, £50 million has been spent trying
0:00:05 > 0:00:08to improve the quality of our hospital food.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12- What is that?- You don't know.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15So far though, there's been little sign that change on a national
0:00:15 > 0:00:17level 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.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Just horrible.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35It's not appetising.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39It was inedible, cold. It was vile.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42That's why, for the last four years, I've been working with NHS
0:00:42 > 0:00:45kitchens to prove that serving good food is possible.
0:00:45 > 0:00:4930 seconds. Come on, come on, come on!
0:00:49 > 0:00:51You guys have made it.
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Thank you!
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Together we've demonstrated patients can have tasty,
0:00:55 > 0:01:00nutritious food, without it costing any more money.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03What motivates me more now, is the public's perception
0:01:03 > 0:01:04of the good that we've done.
0:01:04 > 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 > 0:01:12one 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 > 0:01:25hospital food for every patient throughout the UK.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29- Mmm, yummy! - Yeah. It's lovely!
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I'm massively passionate about food in hospitals.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Change can be achieved.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Since starting my campaign to transform hospital food, I've been
0:01:44 > 0:01:49shocked at the reality of what some patients are being given every day.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Just look at that. What the hell is that?
0:01:52 > 0:01:55The e-mails and pictures you've sent me have highlighted
0:01:55 > 0:01:59an extraordinary disparity in standards across the UK's hospitals
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and given me a real sense of the good, the bad
0:02:02 > 0:02:04and the unidentifiable.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09It inspires you to sort of get in there and to work hard
0:02:09 > 0:02:10and improve it.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14And now, rather than bring about change in just a handful of places,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18I've come up with a plan to help the entire hospital catering
0:02:18 > 0:02:24industry, making all my ideas and recipes freely available online.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27This website actually seemed like a good idea at the time
0:02:27 > 0:02:28and I still think it is.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30But it's a logistical nightmare.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33As well as sorting out all that,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36I'm continuing to work directly with certain hospitals around
0:02:36 > 0:02:40the country to implement those ideas to benefit patients right now.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45- High-five!- Hiya, you all right? - Good to see you, Andy.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48At the Royal Oldham, I've delivered nutritious versions
0:02:48 > 0:02:53of the kinds of food that kids really want to eat in hospitals.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54Best pizza ever!
0:02:56 > 0:02:59In Chesterfield, I'm helping to develop a food service
0:02:59 > 0:03:02for patients after they've been discharged.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07- We want to provide the patients some kind of grocery pack.- Yeah.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12- Do you think it's a good idea? - I think it's a marvellous idea.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14And at the Princess Alexandra in Harlow, where
0:03:14 > 0:03:18the catering department has a sizeable debt, I'm hoping that
0:03:18 > 0:03:21the ideas I'm working on with the team will be enough
0:03:21 > 0:03:22to save their jobs.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25I don't want to put any more pressure on you
0:03:25 > 0:03:28but I want to go down to a one-week menu cycle.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30The look on your face.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Today is roll out day at Harlow for the new one-week menu I've
0:03:35 > 0:03:39planning with the team and the pressure is on to get it right.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Well, today is a massive day.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Not only do they have to streamline the menu,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45doing so, this is the first time we're going to put a weekly
0:03:45 > 0:03:49menu on, but also the same dishes the patients eat are going to be
0:03:49 > 0:03:51the same dishes we serve in the restaurant.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54So, hopefully, if we do all that, it's going to cut the costs
0:03:54 > 0:03:57and streamline everything and make it really nice.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02The Princess Alexandra is £15 million in debt,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06so chief exec, Melanie Walker, is looking closely at the future
0:04:06 > 0:04:10of the onsite catering operation with a view to reducing costs.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13There comes a point where we've got to think very differently
0:04:13 > 0:04:18about how we run the hospital and there isn't an easy answer to that.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21One solution being considered would be to close the kitchen
0:04:21 > 0:04:23and switch to a cook chill food system,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26the most common type of hospital catering in the country.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31It means the food is made off-site, bought in, and reheated.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Andy from the Princess Alexandra hospital with
0:04:33 > 0:04:35the order for tomorrow for you.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39If Catering Manager Andy and the team is to avoid that, they need to
0:04:39 > 0:04:43turn round their £19,000 deficit and become cost effective quickly.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Can you drop that in tomorrow for us?
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Yeah, please, that would be brilliant.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52The change to a one-week menu cycle will help.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55By ditching half of the meals they're currently making,
0:04:55 > 0:04:59it should instantly cut the money the team spends on ingredients.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02So, ten of these and ten like that. Yeah?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Walking into the kitchen today there's a real
0:05:05 > 0:05:08feeling of nervous energy in the air.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Chefs like Yvonne and Neil are having to adjust to doing
0:05:11 > 0:05:13things differently.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15We'll see on the feedback today because it's the first
0:05:15 > 0:05:18time these recipes are actually going on the wards.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22So we'll find out today what's what.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24I can't see why the patients can't have the same
0:05:24 > 0:05:27as what the visitors or the nurses or everyone else is having.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Continuity, that's what you need. It's much more exciting, yeah.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33There's been a bit of a buzz about the place.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36So far, kitchen boss, Andy, seems to be keeping calm.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Try that, John. Try a bit. It's lovely.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43The idea about the one-week menu cycle,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I'm almost sure will bring dividends.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50I'm hopeful that it'll actually reduce our costs and,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54at the same time, hopefully push up quality a bit as well.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57This is big change.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59You may not think it, going down to a weekly menu,
0:05:59 > 0:06:03but it's fantastic to see all the guys really embracing that
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and I think a lot of that was down to the fact that they
0:06:06 > 0:06:10now know what pressure Andy has been under and he continues to be under.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14They really want to rally around and support him even more
0:06:14 > 0:06:17and what I've seen today is the perfect example of that, really.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23And, of course, there's another reason for the chefs to want the new
0:06:23 > 0:06:25menu to be a success.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28If the department continues to lose money
0:06:28 > 0:06:31they could all be out of a job.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34There's nothing worse than the morale going down
0:06:34 > 0:06:37because you don't know if you've got a job at the end of the month.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41I retire in a couple of years, but these are young lads.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It's their livelihoods. They've got families and kids.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47They don't want to be looking elsewhere. Oh, yeah, awful.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52With the clock ticking down to lunchtime, there are just
0:06:52 > 0:06:54a few frantic minutes remaining for the team to
0:06:54 > 0:06:58finish off the first meal they'll serve as part of the one-week cycle.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09With everything finally ready, it's time for the kitchen's
0:07:09 > 0:07:12second-in-command, Jonathan, and I to head up to the wards to see
0:07:12 > 0:07:15if the new menu will prove a hit with the patients.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- James, good to see you. - Good to see you too.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Knee by the looks of things. Is that right?
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Yep. This one 18 months ago and this one this week.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Well, what do you think of the food so far, because this is the boss?
0:07:28 > 0:07:31- Be as honest as you like.- The food we've had here has been excellent.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33- Is there enough for you? - There's enough here.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37They come up reasonable portions. It's not skimpy.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Fantastic. Well, good luck. Look after yourself.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41- Thank you very much. - Thank you very much.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Don't come in for another one, because you've used two already.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46- I've used them up now. - Nice to see you.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- What did you have for lunch? - I had the vegetable pasta bake.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52- And you enjoyed it?- Yeah.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- How many hospitals have you been in, in your life?- Three.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59- About three different ones?- Yeah. - Yeah? And how does this compare?
0:07:59 > 0:08:01- It's good.- There you go.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04My head's getting bigger. I'm really pleased.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- You've got a friend, anyway. - I've got a friend, yeah.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- Get better soon.- OK.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- How you doing, Robert?- Very good. - You're diving into that.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- I am.- Yeah, you like it? - Very nice.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18And filling as well, is it?
0:08:18 > 0:08:20It is because I'm just thinking to myself,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24I hope he goes in a minute because I won't be able to get all this in.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27And what about... I've got an idea about putting a little recipe
0:08:27 > 0:08:29bank together so all the other hospitals can use it.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- Yeah.- As you're diving into this everybody around the UK
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- could also have some. - Yeah, I would recommend it.
0:08:36 > 0:08:37Yeah? Out of ten?
0:08:39 > 0:08:40Oh, I'd give it a nine.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48The meal options from the new menu have been given a thumbs up
0:08:48 > 0:08:52by the patients, and Jonathan seems pretty pleased with the reaction.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54We got very good feedback from the wards
0:08:54 > 0:08:56regarding the food today.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58I think we've got a good team here. It's just a case of moving forward.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Sometimes you can get a bit stuck in a rut
0:09:01 > 0:09:03and basically do the same thing every day.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05It's nice to have a fresh input by someone else giving you ideas
0:09:05 > 0:09:08and suggestions.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11But success with the patients is only half the story today.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14For my new menu to be as cost effective as possible,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18I want it rolled out in the restaurant as well as on the wards.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20- Soup to take away? - Yes, please.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26If the hospital staff that eat here are as enthusiastic as the patients
0:09:26 > 0:09:29then it should result in major cost savings as the team can bulk
0:09:29 > 0:09:34buy the same ingredients to cover both the wards and the restaurant.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37It's nice to have something that's warm and filling
0:09:37 > 0:09:39when you've only got a short snippet of time to eat
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and often we don't get regular breaks.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44So, sometimes it's just a quick five minutes.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47Something like a soup and a roll you can have and carry on.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50It's nice that it's all home cooked, as well.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53It's not been brought in pre-packaged.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55When I see a patient eating something on the wards,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58sometimes I really think, oh, yeah actually I'd quite like that.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01So it would be nice to come down here and get that.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05It's been an encouraging start for the team.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09So have I got anything coming in on the prep side tomorrow at all?
0:10:09 > 0:10:12And if they can keep it up, they now have every
0:10:12 > 0:10:15chance of cancelling out the department's deficit.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Amazing job. Thank you very much, guys.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20I think great appreciation on the wards as well.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- Yeah, that went very well.- Yeah, went really well, didn't it?
0:10:23 > 0:10:25- Definitely.- The first day has gone very well for us
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and I like to think that through the rest of the week, it'll carry on
0:10:29 > 0:10:31being as successful as well.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35And, as you saw in here today, we we're all working together for that.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38We'd like to see an increase in revenue from the restaurant.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41What we want to make sure we can do, is put the ideas that James
0:10:41 > 0:10:44has actually brought to us with his salad ideas and grab-and-go
0:10:44 > 0:10:49ideas that he's brought to us and that's really what it's about.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51But this success needs to be sustainable to convince
0:10:51 > 0:10:54the hospital trust to stick with the traditional kitchen here,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58rather than cutting jobs with a switch to a different system.
0:10:59 > 0:11:00Thank you!
0:11:04 > 0:11:06The Princess Alexandra isn't the only hospital I've
0:11:06 > 0:11:08worked at facing that threat.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11York Trust, which runs the hospital where all this began,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Scarborough General, is also considering the future
0:11:15 > 0:11:16of its kitchens.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19It's already announced the closure of its traditional set up
0:11:19 > 0:11:20in Bridlington.
0:11:21 > 0:11:27It looks from this that Bridlington is going cook chill.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29And Scarborough, where catering manager Pat Bell
0:11:29 > 0:11:33and I first proved that it is possible to give patients
0:11:33 > 0:11:38better food at no extra cost, could be next.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40York Trust is my home county. I'm very proud of that place.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I'm very proud of the people that it represents
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and the people that it serves. I felt honoured, to be honest.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48A local boy goes back home and helps out the local hospital.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51It was really everything that I ever wished for.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54With York Trust offering few assurances over
0:11:54 > 0:11:57the future of the kitchen at Scarborough, it looks as
0:11:57 > 0:12:00though this may be a battle that I've lost.
0:12:04 > 0:12:10But around 60% of UK hospitals now serve cook chill food or
0:12:10 > 0:12:12other types of off-site catering.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15If I really want to make a difference on a national scale,
0:12:15 > 0:12:16I can't ignore that.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24Up to now, I've never seen exactly how food made off-site is produced.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27But finally that's about to change.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29We've talked a lot about cook chill
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and the effect that it has on catering units that I've been
0:12:32 > 0:12:34working with over the last sort of two-to-three years.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37But thankfully, after those years have passed, the NHS have
0:12:37 > 0:12:38allowed me to come here.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42This is there own Central Production Unit in Wolverhampton
0:12:42 > 0:12:44and they want me to work with them on stuff they're serving
0:12:44 > 0:12:48in the hospital right next door, so I'm looking forward to today.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54This isn't your typical cook chill production unit.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57For starters, it's a little unusual for one to be based
0:12:57 > 0:12:59so close to a hospital.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Plus, it's run by the NHS, rather than a private company,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06as many of them are,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10although the patients are split on what they make of the food.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12It's a bit bland.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15- I'm quite happy. - It's vile.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19These meals are prepared in a central facility like this one,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22blast chilled in large fridges then transported to
0:13:22 > 0:13:25hospitals in the surrounding area.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28When the food finally reaches the wards, it's reheated using
0:13:28 > 0:13:30a special serving trolley.
0:13:32 > 0:13:33What is that? You don't know.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39I've always believed that the majority
0:13:39 > 0:13:42of off-site hospital catering is of a poorer quality
0:13:42 > 0:13:44than meals cooked in a traditional kitchen.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Fetching, I know. But there's a lot goes on here.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51I'm here at the unit today, though, with an open mind.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54And Catering Production Manager, Gene, has pledged that he'll
0:13:54 > 0:13:57take on board my ideas and suggestions.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02But first, I need to see exactly how a place like this operates.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04What are we looking at in terms of production?
0:14:04 > 0:14:07What's the average amount that you do a day?
0:14:07 > 0:14:121,000 lunches, 1,000 suppers, so 2,000 meals on a normal
0:14:12 > 0:14:13production day.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15We do a double production day on a Tuesday,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17so that would be 4,000.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21The unit here caters for three hospitals in the local area.
0:14:21 > 0:14:26But producing 4,000 meals on a busy day is pretty staggering.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Compare that to the kitchen I've been working in, in Harlow,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32which gets through around 900 meals daily,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36and you begin to get a sense of the scale of this operation.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42In my book, mass catering doesn't usually result in quality food,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46but there's no doubt that there are some aspects of the way
0:14:46 > 0:14:49this unit is run, which I wasn't expecting.
0:14:49 > 0:14:50This is the decant area.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53So you can see all our raw meat has come through.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56It's interesting that you use fresh chicken because a lot of these
0:14:56 > 0:14:59much bigger units than what you've got here, might be using, well,
0:14:59 > 0:15:03it could be frozen boneless chicken, it could be anything really.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06We don't use any frozen meat at all. Everything is fresh.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07All fresh. OK.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12That's not the only working practice I'm in favour of.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15There's also close attention paid to the way dishes are produced,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18sometimes with obvious benefits.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22- Each one of these trolleys is basically a recipe, then.- Yes.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25So you basically standardise the recipe exact?
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The recipes have to be standardised because they're all agreed with
0:15:28 > 0:15:29the dieticians.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33So it keeps our dieticians happy.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36It keeps the finance people happy,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39so we know exactly how much we're spending.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41We have a very strict budget to stick to
0:15:41 > 0:15:44and it also cuts down on waste.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48If we're cooking 385 portions of cottage pie,
0:15:48 > 0:15:53we order exactly the right amount of ingredients to cook that amount.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Sounds good.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Now this is more like it. Some serious pans.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00You feel a bit more at home in here, then?
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Yeah. I've never seen equipment like this.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06I don't know what these cost, but they are not cheap.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10They're not cheap. However, we do make savings.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14When you're cooking in bulk like this, you need less staff.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- What are they? Three, four? - Yeah. I was really surprised.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21- It's not many, is it? - No. And it works, James.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23So, I'm intrigued to know what you're cooking today,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26- so can we go and have a look?- OK.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30With only four chefs making up to 4,000 meals a day, it's
0:16:30 > 0:16:33clear that the unit have bulk production down to a fine art.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38But how the food actually tastes is what really counts.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Home-made soup.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- Home-made vegetable soup. - Home-made soup.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48If you think it's too salty, you can work on the recipe with us!
0:16:51 > 0:16:53There's pros and cons with everything, really.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55I can see, really, why they do it.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00The negative side, is you don't get any variety, really.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02There is work that we can help them with, absolutely,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06in terms of the soups and the tastes and everything else.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08But the basis of everything is there.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12It's just there's a little bit more frozen veg than I'd want.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15Try and get fresh veg on because they've got fresh meat on.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20You know, most of the time with the NHS, you're fighting for equipment.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23You've got it all. You could have a bath in there, look.
0:17:24 > 0:17:25Albeit a hot one.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30I can see it's a very professional set up here.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34But amongst many of the people I've spoken to in hospitals,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38not just chefs but dieticians, nurses and patients too,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41the quality of cook chill food has a terrible reputation.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Gene believes the blame shouldn't lie with an NHS unit like this one,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53but with the 35% of hospital catering that's sub-contracted
0:17:53 > 0:17:54out to private firms.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59I don't want to be disrespectful to these other big suppliers,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01but they are profit driven.
0:18:01 > 0:18:06They will have to buy the raw ingredient, produce it,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10store it, transport it and make a profit.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12We're an NHS unit.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16We have a budget to stick to, like any other NHS unit.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19So we spend well over a million on raw ingredients
0:18:19 > 0:18:24and our recipes have all of that money put into the ingredients.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Yeah. If a meal costs four quid, you'll spend four quid
0:18:28 > 0:18:30on the quality of the food.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Whereas I find difficult to believe, is a company would spend four
0:18:33 > 0:18:37quid on food, they're not, they're going to spend, I don't know, £1.50?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39We don't have to make a profit.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42It all goes back into the patient experience.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Well, I've got to be honest with you, I didn't really know what to
0:18:45 > 0:18:47expect when I came in here.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50I was probably anticipating a lot more of a factory environment.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52You know, this is NHS owned,
0:18:52 > 0:18:55so they can control everything in terms of the cost.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It's kitted out how they want to kit it out, as well.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Whereas you just get the feeling in a cook chill unit that has to
0:19:01 > 0:19:06make a profit, it doesn't really look as good as this.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12Although I'm cautiously optimistic about what I've seen so far,
0:19:12 > 0:19:16the real test of this food is how it goes down on the wards.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Bed 22, isn't it?
0:19:19 > 0:19:22So I've come across the road to the New Cross hospital to see
0:19:22 > 0:19:24some of it served to patients.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30So, unlike conventional hospital wards where the food is
0:19:30 > 0:19:33placed in a hot cabinet from the kitchen, wheeled to the wards
0:19:33 > 0:19:36and then the button is pressed to be super-heated, these
0:19:36 > 0:19:41have had probably a lot less time in an oven but on an exact temperature.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45An armoury of waitressing team. Check that out.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Bed five, please.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Watching the food being served, there's one issue with it
0:19:50 > 0:19:52that's immediately obvious to me.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54What about portion size? Is it easy to portion up doing this?
0:19:54 > 0:19:56Er, I try my best.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59There's a portion of six on this tray here.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04The unit produces trays with either six or three portions in them.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07But as numbers haven't worked out perfectly today, there seems
0:20:07 > 0:20:11to be quite a lot of waste left over in many of the trays.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14And that's costly for any hospital.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16- So has everybody eaten a main? - Yep.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18What happens to this, then?
0:20:18 > 0:20:22- This all gets thrown in the bin, does it?- Yes. Unfortunately.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27When you're cooking in containers for three and six portions
0:20:27 > 0:20:31and not individually, you're going to have huge amounts of waste.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34They tell me at the hospital that they have 10% waste, but
0:20:34 > 0:20:36based on what I've seen,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I imagine on some days it's probably a lot more.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Can I try a bit then, before anyone starts chucking it out.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- Chicken pie. What is this one? - Beef hotpot.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Beef hotpot.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Chicken pie is better.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03Of the food I've tasted, I would say some is good, some just OK.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05And that's what many of the patients think too.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09You've had experience of the food. Six weeks worth of food.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12- Everything you wanted or...? - It could be improved.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16They offer you like jacket potato and cheese and I thought,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19"Oh, that's nice." And I had it the first time and it was really nice
0:21:19 > 0:21:21and then the next three times I've ordered it,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23the potato's not cooked and you're like, "Urgh!"
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Anything you'd like on the menu that's
0:21:25 > 0:21:27not on the menu at the moment?
0:21:27 > 0:21:31No. Because I think, to me, there's a choice of what I want.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33You know, if I don't want it, it's up to me to say,
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- no, I don't want that. - And you're happy?- I'm quite happy.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39When they used to plate them up a million miles away,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42put them on the things and bring them up in the flight trolley
0:21:42 > 0:21:44and whatever, that was just disgusting.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48The way it's presented is much better now, but there are some
0:21:48 > 0:21:52issues with choice, particularly if you're on a restricted diet.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56To improve that choice and raise standards overall,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Gene and his team will now start trialling some of the recipes
0:21:59 > 0:22:01I'll be putting up on my website.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06If that's a success, they'll start using them for good.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11From what I've seen today, it's very different to what I've
0:22:11 > 0:22:14seen on a bigger commercial scale being served in other hospitals.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18The actual kitchen was a proper kitchen with proper
0:22:18 > 0:22:21chefs in there and cooking real food.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Having said that, that's the benefit of being owned by the NHS.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32Whether a hospital's meals are provided by an NHS unit or
0:22:32 > 0:22:36a private catering company, I still believe most patients, given
0:22:36 > 0:22:40the choice, would jump at the chance of having some fresher
0:22:40 > 0:22:41food added to their menus.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45The dinner hasn't been very nice.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48That was certainly the case a year ago when I sent a couple
0:22:48 > 0:22:52of my chef mates to work with a large cook chill hospital in London.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54We're at the Royal Free in Hampstead.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58A whopper of a hospital, very, very big one.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00I asked Lawrence Keogh and Paul Merrett to work with
0:23:00 > 0:23:03the team at the Royal Free to see how we could supplement
0:23:03 > 0:23:07the hospital's off-site catering with simple fresh food.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11And once they read the patient feedback forms, one dish stood
0:23:11 > 0:23:13out again and again.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Soup! Soup! Soup!
0:23:18 > 0:23:21Maybe that's an area we need to look at.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24At the moment, just explain, the soup is made...
0:23:24 > 0:23:2760 miles away in the production kitchens.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31OK, wouldn't it be nice if every day there was a fresh, fresh,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33- fresh soup?- Yep.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37It wasn't long before the boys and I got busy in the kitchen.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Right, come on, come on, Lawrence. Where are you?
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Paul Merrett, can you please come to the diary room?
0:23:44 > 0:23:45More soup.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53We were making not just fresh soups but salads too.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56And when we tested them out both on the wards and in the hospital
0:23:56 > 0:23:59restaurant, the response was overwhelming.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04I had the carrot and coriander soup and it was beautiful.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06How does that compare with what you've had before?
0:24:06 > 0:24:07Very tasty, yeah. Very good.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10It's the best soup I've had down here, so it's really good.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Can you just say that again loudly?
0:24:12 > 0:24:14- It's the best soup I've had down here.- Excellent!
0:24:14 > 0:24:15That's the batch I made.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It was great to see a hospital with this sort of system keen to
0:24:20 > 0:24:24improve the quality and range of the meals they'd bought in.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26And doing it actually saved them money.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32When we left, the soups and salads had been introduced on three wards.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35But Director of Facilities, Jeremy, had big plans to roll them
0:24:35 > 0:24:37out across the whole building.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39We've done the whole floor today.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41We can start planning our menus around delivering
0:24:41 > 0:24:43this across the whole hospital.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45It'll be a bit of a challenge but we'll be able to do it
0:24:45 > 0:24:47and it enhances the meal service we have now.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53So, six months after their last visit, Lawrence and Paul went
0:24:53 > 0:24:56back to the Royal Free to see how things had been working out
0:24:56 > 0:24:59and if we'd managed to make a lasting difference
0:24:59 > 0:25:01to the food there.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05I'm really keen to know how the six months has gone, you know,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09whether they've managed to maintain the momentum.
0:25:09 > 0:25:14It's easy to turn up and do it over a short period but over six months?
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Have they managed to achieve it daily? Have they expanded it?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Have they disbanded it? I don't know what to expect today.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22I'm a little bit apprehensive.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26The lads are meeting up with Jeremy
0:25:26 > 0:25:28and the hospital's Chief Exec, David.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30For us it's been fantastic.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33It's been just a huge change, actually, to the way that we operate,
0:25:33 > 0:25:35the way we eat, the way we do things.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Jeremy and his team have been out there.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39We have. The soup has gone down a storm.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42The salads have been absolutely fantastic in terms of patients
0:25:42 > 0:25:43taking them on board
0:25:43 > 0:25:48and it looks so much fresher and more tempting, it really does.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49So the management are happy
0:25:49 > 0:25:54and the word back from the staff on the wards is just as encouraging.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56Patients have been really warm and receptive to the soups.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It's what they want to eat when they're not feeling very well.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01There's a good variety of soups,
0:26:01 > 0:26:05they're freshly prepared every day using really nice ingredients.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Best of all, both patients and restaurant customers
0:26:08 > 0:26:11are really feeling the benefit of fresh food on their menu.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17When you're sick, you need all the energy in the world to help
0:26:17 > 0:26:19you to get well.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23It's a number one priority.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24We get the soup every day.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28We come down here every day and it's just really, really nice.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30- Healthy.- Healthy.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32You get your five-a-day packed in there.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36So, it's quick, it's easy, quite nutritious and it fills you up.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39There's no doubt from the management that the changes we introduced,
0:26:39 > 0:26:43just by adding simple additions to the bought-in meals,
0:26:43 > 0:26:44are here to stay.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47The staff eating the same food as the patients makes a huge
0:26:47 > 0:26:50difference in terms of the messages we're giving
0:26:50 > 0:26:53to the organisation about what's important.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55If it's not good enough for us, it's not good enough for the patients.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58So, as yet, you haven't got it right the way through the hospital
0:26:58 > 0:27:00- but that's going to happen very soon, right?- It is.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02There's a plan out there now at the moment.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05All the soups have been rolled out throughout the whole hospital,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08that's gone really well and we're now working down from the 11th floor
0:27:08 > 0:27:10downwards doing all our fresh salads.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13It's good work in six months, isn't it?
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- You're ahead of the pack now. - Benchmark.- Brilliant.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18That's good to hear.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19They've done really well.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22They're running it out throughout the whole hospital.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23The feedback was good, the vibe was good
0:27:23 > 0:27:25and they've maintained that level.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27I tell you what it proves.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31It proves that the model that we worked on here could probably
0:27:31 > 0:27:33be replicated across every cook chill hospital.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Well, why not? What's preventing it? What's stopping it? Why can't it be?
0:27:37 > 0:27:39Paul and Lawrence have a point.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Simple ideas like the ones we trialled at the Royal Free
0:27:42 > 0:27:45could work in many hospitals with off-site catering.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49We've done something right, mate. We've done something right.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52It's initiatives like this I'm hoping more hospitals will
0:27:52 > 0:27:56adopt once I've put them all down on my website.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00I want all the recipes and ideas that I've proved can work to
0:28:00 > 0:28:03be available for every hospital to use.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10It's the key to my goal of affecting change on a national level.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13So I've enlisted the help of other organisations also
0:28:13 > 0:28:17pushing for change, such as the Hospital Caterers Association
0:28:17 > 0:28:21and the British Dietetic Association.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Well, when I thought about the idea of a website, it was really
0:28:23 > 0:28:27important that we got organisations like the BDA involved in this,
0:28:27 > 0:28:30because, really, they are at the forefront of nutrition
0:28:30 > 0:28:34in the NHS and what they say more or less goes, really.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38So when you're devising a recipe and you're devising menus
0:28:38 > 0:28:42and stuff like that, without their really seal of approval,
0:28:42 > 0:28:45it's very difficult to implement this on a larger scale.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49To get that seal of approval, all the recipes
0:28:49 > 0:28:53I plan to share on my website need to be thoroughly checked out.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57So I've sent the details of nearly 60 of my dishes to top
0:28:57 > 0:29:01nutritionists at the British Dietetic Association.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07And now I'm waiting for the call from BDA dietician, Maxine Cartz,
0:29:07 > 0:29:10to let me know whether I've got the go-ahead to describe the dishes
0:29:10 > 0:29:15I'll be making available to all hospitals as nutritionally sound.
0:29:16 > 0:29:17On the whole, everything OK?
0:29:17 > 0:29:18On the whole they're great
0:29:18 > 0:29:21and they certainly look like mouth-watering dishes.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25They look like they're going to be really well received by patients.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29You've got sticky toffee pudding and those soups look really great.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32Great, all right, thanks for all your help on it.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35- Cheers, James, no problem. - Cheers. Thank you. Bye.- Bye.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38How good was that?
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Often, really, when you try and implement change within the NHS,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45they've all got their own sets of issues and rules and regulations.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48And if Maxine says the recipes are great,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50that is a massive leap forward.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55Making available a database of dishes hospitals can be confident
0:29:55 > 0:30:00are both tasty and nutritious, will be a real step forward.
0:30:00 > 0:30:04Staggering as it sounds, there are no mandatory nutritional
0:30:04 > 0:30:07standards laid down for all hospitals in the UK.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10There are for prisons,
0:30:10 > 0:30:14but hospital food has no such consistency or regulation,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17or, at least, not in England.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20There are nutritional standards set out for Scotland and Wales, though,
0:30:20 > 0:30:25as I discovered last year when I was asked to help with a new initiative
0:30:25 > 0:30:26from the Welsh Assembly.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Leslie, thanks for meeting us.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Welsh Minister, Leslie Griffiths, set me the task of helping create
0:30:32 > 0:30:36dishes for a single menu set to be rolled out
0:30:36 > 0:30:40across all 115 NHS hospitals in Wales.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42From the end of this year, I'm bringing in the all-Wales menu,
0:30:42 > 0:30:44which, again, I think is really important.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48So the idea is just to have almost like a recipe bank of recipes
0:30:48 > 0:30:52- that people can dive into and come out of?- Absolutely.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55I asked my chef friend Stephen Terry to help me out.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59But when he arrived at a hospital kitchen in Abergavenny,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02he made a discovery that shocked us both.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04You've got a roast chicken dinner. Do you do lamb, beef, pork?
0:31:04 > 0:31:06- We don't do lamb. We don't do beef. - No lamb?
0:31:06 > 0:31:08We do pork, chicken and turkey.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11What has shocked me, really, is the fact, you know,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13because it comes down to budget and cost,
0:31:13 > 0:31:18here in Wales, in a Welsh hospital, we can't serve Welsh lamb.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21I don't understand why that isn't possible.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Unbelievably, Stephen found the only lamb that most Welsh hospitals
0:31:24 > 0:31:31could afford to buy was from New Zealand or Australia, not Wales.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33Currently, what are they charging? Is it per kilo?
0:31:33 > 0:31:37- £8.10 a kilo.- £8.10 a kilo? - Leg of lamb.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40- And does it say where the lamb's from? Is it...- New Zealand.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Red tape means Welsh hospitals can only buy from
0:31:44 > 0:31:45their official suppliers.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48None of whom appeared to be able to source local lamb
0:31:48 > 0:31:51more cheaply than foreign imports.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54We were shocked by that and quickly identified local farms
0:31:54 > 0:31:57more than happy to offer a better price.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03On Welsh lamb legs, what's the best price per kilo?
0:32:03 > 0:32:0745 kilos once a week. £6.50 - £6.99.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11£6.50 sounds the better of the two.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Welsh lamb is the obvious ingredient for the lamb pie Stephen was
0:32:14 > 0:32:17determined to get on the all-Wales menu.
0:32:17 > 0:32:18But without it,
0:32:18 > 0:32:22hospitals would have to use meat from the other side of the world.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27This one can go in just in the tinfoil because they're all right.
0:32:27 > 0:32:28The hope for both of us
0:32:28 > 0:32:32was that, in time, the cost of local lamb from the official Welsh supply
0:32:32 > 0:32:36chain would be reduced, so that in future, these pies could be produced
0:32:36 > 0:32:41with meat from Wales, giving a massive boost to the local economy.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42150.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48But first, all the dishes Steven and I suggested for the new menu,
0:32:48 > 0:32:53including some of my soups, needed to get Leslie's official approval.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Smells gorgeous.
0:32:57 > 0:33:02- Good enough?- That's so good.
0:33:02 > 0:33:03Now, one year on,
0:33:03 > 0:33:06I want to know what progress has been made, both with the menu
0:33:06 > 0:33:11overall, and in making local lamb affordable for Welsh hospital chefs.
0:33:12 > 0:33:13Welsh lamb was all around us.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16There are millions of sheep in Wales.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20So, I've asked Stephen to get an update from dieticians Judith
0:33:20 > 0:33:22and Jessica, both of whom have played a key role
0:33:22 > 0:33:25in the developing the all-Wales menu.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30We've got a number of recipes being implemented across Wales with
0:33:30 > 0:33:33the standardised recipe and analysis that meets our standards.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36- But it's still in progression. - And how's the feedback been?
0:33:36 > 0:33:39It's been great having some of the signature dishes from last
0:33:39 > 0:33:40year's programme.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43We had some James Martin soups and they've all gone down really well.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46- We tried your lamb pie recipe. - How was that?
0:33:46 > 0:33:47Yeah, it was very good.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50We need to tweak it a little bit in terms of the herbs.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53It's quite difficult to use certain things like fresh bay leaves
0:33:53 > 0:33:55and then remove it when you're doing mass catering.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58- Sure.- Once we finally tweak that, we'll be looking at putting
0:33:58 > 0:34:01- that on the framework.- Great. That was all about Welsh lamb, really.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04It was one of those things that it seemed silly not to have Welsh lamb.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09That conundrum is still not totally resolved.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12While local lamb is available for Welsh hospitals to
0:34:12 > 0:34:15buy from their approved suppliers, the cost of it is still
0:34:15 > 0:34:19around £3 more expensive per kilo than overseas alternatives.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23If I was a cash-strapped Welsh hospital chef,
0:34:23 > 0:34:25I know exactly which choice I'd be making.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28And although that's frustrating,
0:34:28 > 0:34:32the rules on how a hospital sources its food, means simply
0:34:32 > 0:34:36switching to a cheaper supplier isn't always straightforward.
0:34:36 > 0:34:41How much of an issue for contract selection process is local produce?
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Is that something that you're thinking about?
0:34:43 > 0:34:46With the EU legislation, we can't favour somebody
0:34:46 > 0:34:50because they're local but what we're trying to do is work with
0:34:50 > 0:34:55local farmers to explain to them the NHS tendering process,
0:34:55 > 0:34:59so then they can be in a best position to bid for the contracts.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01They're in with a shout, then? They have an opportunity?
0:35:01 > 0:35:04I mean that's what we're hoping. That they'll be in the best position
0:35:04 > 0:35:07and they'll be able to submit the best product.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12It sounds like steady progress is being made on the all-Wales menu
0:35:12 > 0:35:15and it's great that they've kept faith with the dishes
0:35:15 > 0:35:16we came up with.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19But for Stephen, that's still not quite enough!
0:35:19 > 0:35:24My wish is to get a Welsh lamb dish, you know, on the Wales food network.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27It looks like if I want to move this issue forward, I need to go
0:35:27 > 0:35:29back to the Welsh Assembly.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33I've asked the new Health Minister, a guy called Mark Drakeford,
0:35:33 > 0:35:37for an interview and this is the response, which is very much
0:35:37 > 0:35:39a political response.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43"I thank you for the progress update on the all-Wales patient menu.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46"Unfortunately, the Minister has declined to be interviewed.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48"The Minister has asked me to pass on his thanks for your interest
0:35:48 > 0:35:51"in what we're doing in Wales and all the best for the next series."
0:35:51 > 0:35:58So, in terms of a response, that's a firmly closed door, I think,
0:35:58 > 0:36:03and which is the story, to be honest, of the NHS as a whole.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06You know, you almost go one step forward in hospital
0:36:06 > 0:36:07and five steps backwards
0:36:07 > 0:36:11when you're trying to meet with people who make decisions happen.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13And this is the problem that I'm having.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16Nobody from the Welsh Government wants to speak to me.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18When you're getting doors shut in front of you,
0:36:18 > 0:36:22you can't do a lot more than doing what you're doing.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26But if there's one thing I've learnt from trying to improve hospital
0:36:26 > 0:36:28food, it's that while disappointments along the way
0:36:28 > 0:36:30might be inevitable,
0:36:30 > 0:36:33there are still plenty of issues on which I can make a difference.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37- Nice to meet you.- Hiya, you all right?- Good to see you.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Recently, I was invited to the Chesterfield Royal Hospital
0:36:40 > 0:36:43to hear about an initiative their Head of Retail, Kim, has come
0:36:43 > 0:36:47up with to give patients some help with their food immediately
0:36:47 > 0:36:50after they've been discharged.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54- We want to provide some kind of grocery pack.- Yeah.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58The basics, you know, things that they can be discharged with
0:36:58 > 0:36:59at a reasonable price.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05This idea to extend food service beyond the hospital was
0:37:05 > 0:37:08welcomed by the patients I talked to on the wards.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12If you've got something sort of just bits of staples to go with,
0:37:12 > 0:37:16then, you know, you'd be on a winner straightaway.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20My contribution to Kim's idea was to come up with
0:37:20 > 0:37:25suggestions for the essential items that would be included in the bags.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28It's got to be bread. It's got to be eggs.
0:37:28 > 0:37:29It's got to be milk.
0:37:29 > 0:37:30Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah.
0:37:33 > 0:37:34With only a short time
0:37:34 > 0:37:37until I return to Chesterfield to launch the service, Kim is meeting
0:37:37 > 0:37:42with Discharge Lounge Sister, Susan, to see what she makes of our plans.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45Myself and James just got a list together of the things
0:37:45 > 0:37:46that we thought.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48OK. I don't know.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50There's quite a lot on there that I don't think
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- patients are really going to manage with.- Really, what like?
0:37:53 > 0:37:57You're expecting quite elderly people to be able to open the cans.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Most of the time, the patients I'm sending home would just want
0:38:00 > 0:38:04the milk to make a cup of tea, perhaps the bread
0:38:04 > 0:38:07and the cheese, so they can make themselves a sandwich.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10It shocked me, actually, because I would automatically think
0:38:10 > 0:38:12when you're poorly, tin of soup.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15Yeah, that's because you're young and you can just open the can.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- Keep telling me that!- You're young!
0:38:17 > 0:38:21- All right, Lillian?- Yeah. - How's that cake?- It's lovely.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24- Is it nice?- I'm enjoying it. - Are you enjoying it?- Yeah.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Susan may think our home food bag needs a few tweaks,
0:38:28 > 0:38:32but she's in no doubt that this is an idea with obvious merits.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35I think the service is so important.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38It can potentially prevent readmission into hospital
0:38:38 > 0:38:40for more vulnerable, frightened patients.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42They may go home and feel less inclined to
0:38:42 > 0:38:45ring for an ambulance because they're frightened.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47They know they're supported in their own home.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49They have got nutrition for the next few days
0:38:49 > 0:38:51and an ongoing support service.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54And with Susan's input, Kim can now rethink
0:38:54 > 0:38:57the contents of our bag to better reflect what a discharged
0:38:57 > 0:39:01patient might need after leaving hospital.
0:39:01 > 0:39:05I was looking at it from a young, fit person.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09So, semi-skimmed milk, brown bread, fruit, and I was told that
0:39:09 > 0:39:16the older people prefer full fat milk, white bread, full fat cheese.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20That kind of thing, so that was the main stumbling block.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22The new system will be a reduced bag.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25They can buy the pack at a discounted rate.
0:39:25 > 0:39:30If they wanted any other items then the Discharge Lounge
0:39:30 > 0:39:34and the Red Cross could facilitate that, using the shop at the Royal.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40The British Red Cross has had its own scheme to help newly
0:39:40 > 0:39:43discharged patients get the essentials they need.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46But working more closely with the hospital on a combined system
0:39:46 > 0:39:50will lead to a more streamlined and efficient service.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- Hi!- Anything for the Red Cross today?
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Yes, I've got this young lady that's gone home.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58She's going to need a hand with her shopping for the next few weeks
0:39:58 > 0:40:00while she recovers from her surgery.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Red Cross Service Manager, Chris,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05has seen first-hand how more vulnerable patients need help
0:40:05 > 0:40:08with their food when they first leave hospital.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11In the first few days, people have a real problem
0:40:11 > 0:40:13because they've lost probably everything that was
0:40:13 > 0:40:16perishable in their fridge and they've got to get things going
0:40:16 > 0:40:20and they don't need feeding up, they just need the basics.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25Once they can get those things, then things start working out after that.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Susan and Chris believe the home food bags offer a great
0:40:28 > 0:40:31opportunity for teamwork across the hospital, with a real
0:40:31 > 0:40:35benefit for the more vulnerable patients in the Discharge Lounge.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38If we can work collaboratively with the shop at the front
0:40:38 > 0:40:40of the hospital, then the Red Cross could even visit
0:40:40 > 0:40:43the patients on a weekly basis and work closely with them to
0:40:43 > 0:40:47check that they are safe at home and are getting the nutrition they need.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49I'm quite excited about this project.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53For people who don't have very solid support networks, it could be
0:40:53 > 0:40:56the difference between them staying at home or going back
0:40:56 > 0:40:57into hospital again.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00The more people that we've spoke to love the idea,
0:41:00 > 0:41:05love the service, something so simple and nobody can understand
0:41:05 > 0:41:09why it's never been done before, which is crazy really, isn't it?
0:41:09 > 0:41:11But there's still plenty to be sorted yet for
0:41:11 > 0:41:14when I return for the launch.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17We've got to get the bags back from the printers.
0:41:17 > 0:41:22We've got to get the leaflets back from the printers.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Really nervous, but I think it'll go well.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27I hope it'll go well.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31While Kim races to get things ready to be rolled out
0:41:31 > 0:41:35in Chesterfield, her idea is another that I'm making sure
0:41:35 > 0:41:38goes on my website so it can be adopted by other hospitals too.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46Seeing the success of initiatives and improvements at all
0:41:46 > 0:41:50the individual hospitals I've been to, is hugely satisfying.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53But it's time now to make a bigger impact.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56I think massive things can come because of this.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59With the blueprint I've laid out on my website, I want to
0:41:59 > 0:42:03bring about change across the entire hospital catering industry.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07And to unveil what I've put together,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10I'm organising a big launch event in London and invited
0:42:10 > 0:42:15representatives from as many hospitals as are willing to come.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Boys, come on! Fudge, come on!
0:42:18 > 0:42:20As the day of that approaches, my nerves are mounting
0:42:20 > 0:42:24but I'm more determined than ever to make a difference.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27I'm massively passionate about food in hospitals
0:42:27 > 0:42:29and have been for so many years.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31That's why I got involved in this project.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35It is possible to implement change within the NHS.
0:42:35 > 0:42:36It's going to be gradual.
0:42:36 > 0:42:38It's going to be slow and it's going to be painful,
0:42:38 > 0:42:40but change can be achieved.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45And above all else, you can do it on budget, save money, save massive
0:42:45 > 0:42:50amounts of waste and improve the hospital and patient's experience.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Well, that's what I believe.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Now, I just need to convince the rest of the industry.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Next time... I'm back in Chesterfield
0:42:59 > 0:43:03to help launch the hospital's home food bag service.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06- Should we get you home? - Yeah, please.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10There's a surprise for Andy at the Princess Alexandra.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12What this? A guard of honour?
0:43:13 > 0:43:15I said she'd stitch me up.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20And as I get ready to launch my ideas for change to more
0:43:20 > 0:43:23hospitals than ever, the pressure begins to mount.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Proper nervous. But here goes.