0:00:02 > 0:00:06'Over the last decade, £50 million has been spent trying
0:00:06 > 0:00:08'to improve the quality of our hospital food.'
0:00:10 > 0:00:12What is that? You don't know.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14'So far, though, there's been little sign
0:00:14 > 0:00:17'that change on a national level has been achieved.'
0:00:19 > 0:00:23That's the reality of the food that's served in the NHS.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27'In fact, a recent study revealed that over a third of hospital food
0:00:27 > 0:00:30'is still considered unacceptable by patients.'
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Just...horrible.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35It's not appetising.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39It was inedible, cold. It was vile.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'That's why, for the last four years, I've been working
0:00:42 > 0:00:47'with NHS kitchens to prove that serving good food IS possible.'
0:00:47 > 0:00:4930 seconds. Come on, come on, come on!
0:00:49 > 0:00:52- You guys have made it.- Thank you!
0:00:52 > 0:00:55'Together we've demonstrated patients CAN have
0:00:55 > 0:01:00'tasty, nutritious 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 > 0:01:09'But it won't be feasible to bring about real change
0:01:09 > 0:01:12'by tackling just one hospital at a time.'
0:01:13 > 0:01:16People deserve decent food in the NHS. It's not a big ask.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21'So now, my aim is to introduce a lasting improvement to
0:01:21 > 0:01:26'hospital food for every patient throughout the UK.'
0:01:26 > 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.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44'Since I began my campaign to improve hospital food,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46'I've worked with the kitchen teams
0:01:46 > 0:01:49'at around a dozen hospitals right across the UK.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:54- I'm trying to make it easier for you.- I know you are.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56- This was going to go in the swill. - Wow!
0:01:56 > 0:01:59I don't want to put any more pressure on you but...
0:01:59 > 0:02:02the key to it is to make it continue to work.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06'Some needed help with specific issues,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10'others required a complete overhaul of their food service.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13'Either way, through hard work and perseverance, we've managed
0:02:13 > 0:02:18'to turn things around to give patients better, healthier food -
0:02:18 > 0:02:21'the sort I'd like to see in every hospital.'
0:02:23 > 0:02:24For hospital food, it's superb!
0:02:24 > 0:02:26The food we've had here has been excellent.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29I had the salad and the soup.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31And both of them - delicious!
0:02:32 > 0:02:36'Now I've come up with a plan to bring about uniform change
0:02:36 > 0:02:40'and if even just half of all hospitals choose to act on it,
0:02:40 > 0:02:42'I firmly believe we can transform the food served
0:02:42 > 0:02:46'throughout the entire NHS.'
0:02:46 > 0:02:49This is just the beginning of a very, very long journey.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52It involves a website.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55'On a site that I'll be making available to patients
0:02:55 > 0:03:00'and staff of every UK hospital, I'm publishing the ideas that
0:03:00 > 0:03:04'we've proved DO work and DON'T cost any more money,
0:03:04 > 0:03:09'including dozens of recipes fully endorsed by top dieticians.'
0:03:09 > 0:03:14The BDA says the recipes are great. That is a massive leap forward.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18'To unveil it all, I'm holding an event in central London,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22'to which I'm inviting trusts from up and down the country.'
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Trying to do this on a national scale
0:03:24 > 0:03:27is going to be harder than even I anticipated.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31'All I have to do now is convince everyone who comes along to
0:03:31 > 0:03:35'seize the opportunity to make things better so patients in all
0:03:35 > 0:03:40'our hospitals can finally get the standard of food they deserve.'
0:03:40 > 0:03:43I think massive things can come because of this.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51'One new scheme I've been involved in developing, which I hope other
0:03:51 > 0:03:55'hospitals will want to take up, is at Chesterfield Royal in Derbyshire.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57'Head of retail Kim asked me
0:03:57 > 0:04:01'to help with a food service for elderly patients who live alone,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03'so that when they're discharged,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05'they don't go home to an empty fridge.'
0:04:06 > 0:04:08We want to provide the patient,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11any elderly people who have been in hospital for some time, when they're
0:04:11 > 0:04:15discharged from hospital, that they can have some kind of grocery pack.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Yeah.- They won't be able to go to the supermarket.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19- They might not have family.- Yeah.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24So we want to see if we can provide the basics - bread, milk,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27things like that, that they can be discharged with -
0:04:27 > 0:04:29at a reasonable price.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Well, Kim invited me here last time to have a look at a new
0:04:31 > 0:04:33project that they wanted me to get involved with.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37And I think it's a fantastic project - Home Help Grocery Bags.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40There's been a lot gone on, since my last visit
0:04:40 > 0:04:43so I'm intrigued to know just how far we've come.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50So, Kim, how's things been going?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53Basically, I went away and costed it up
0:04:53 > 0:04:57and then I took it to a meeting with some of the senior people.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01What we found out is that people within the hospital get
0:05:01 > 0:05:05discharged from one location, OK, called the discharge lounge.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09So, from then, we've met the sister from the discharge lounge
0:05:09 > 0:05:13and we had a meeting with her with the items of the bag
0:05:13 > 0:05:16and, basically, she didn't like it!
0:05:16 > 0:05:18- She didn't like it?- No.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19Just got a little list together.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23There's lot on there I don't think patients are really going to manage with.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Really? I would automatically think, when you're poorly - tin of soup.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29You're expecting quite elderly people to be able to open the cans.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34I was looking from my... What I'd like, so I put in the bag,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- semi-skimmed milk...- Yeah. - ..brown bread.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40So when Susan looked at the list, she went,
0:05:40 > 0:05:44- "Full-fat milk..."- Yeah.- "..white bread." I was thinking from me.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Again, but you live and learn, don't you?
0:05:47 > 0:05:49It's quite interesting that the nurse here wasn't impressed
0:05:49 > 0:05:51with our list that we put together.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55We got dismissed! I'm used to that, to be honest, Kim.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59- But now we've got a list and we've got a way forward.- Yes.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01The actual idea of it, I thought, was fantastic,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05but it's a way that we can implement this properly on a larger scale.
0:06:05 > 0:06:06So if it works here...
0:06:06 > 0:06:08If it works here, it can work in any hospital.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11'With the refinements the different teams at the hospital have
0:06:11 > 0:06:14'now agreed, the bags are ready to launch.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17'They'll contain essentials from the hospital shop at the same
0:06:17 > 0:06:20'price as they'd be from the supermarket,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22'but without the hassle of trying to get there.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'That could make a real difference to someone not up to full strength
0:06:27 > 0:06:31'or with ready access to transport or help at home.'
0:06:31 > 0:06:35You need basic food items, like you say,
0:06:35 > 0:06:40just to make a cup of tea and a sandwich, slice of toast.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44'Kim's also brought into the scheme the local British Red Cross, who've
0:06:44 > 0:06:49'been operating a smaller-scale idea but with very limited resources.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51'By collaborating on this initiative,
0:06:51 > 0:06:54'we can make sure it works much more effectively.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57'So before we meet the first patient to be issued with one of our bags,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01'Kim and I catch up with the hospital's discharge sister, Susan,
0:07:01 > 0:07:04'and Chris from the British Red Cross.'
0:07:04 > 0:07:08You recommend bread, milk - just the basics, really?
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Yeah, from asking the patients and obviously writing lists with them
0:07:11 > 0:07:15and with Chris from the Red Cross, we do see that patients mainly want
0:07:15 > 0:07:19milk to make a cup of tea, and some bread and little portions of butter, that we can supply,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23and cheese, just to make a sandwich and something basic.
0:07:23 > 0:07:24How do you guys find it?
0:07:24 > 0:07:29Because it's quite a nerve-racking time for elderly patients to leave
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- hospital and to be independent again.- It might be the first time
0:07:32 > 0:07:35they've seen their house for a number of weeks or even months
0:07:35 > 0:07:39and it's very, very frightening. And just being able to give them
0:07:39 > 0:07:42that opportunity so they can sit down and then hopefully,
0:07:42 > 0:07:47over the next 24 hours or so, they can get their feet under the table and everything calms down.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50And sometimes, if they think they're not sure what's going on,
0:07:50 > 0:07:52they'll bring them straight back into hospital.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- So we're trying to break that cycle. - They come back?- Yeah.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57That's the first time I've heard this -
0:07:57 > 0:07:59that they are coming back again.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- Yeah, we do have what we call our frequent flyers.- Frequent flyers!
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Patients that are perhaps being discharged
0:08:05 > 0:08:09once, if not twice, in the same week on a week-in, week-out basis
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and we do sometimes wonder, if we were offering just a tiny bit more support -
0:08:12 > 0:08:16especially with a voluntary service like the Red Cross - whether it might just prevent them
0:08:16 > 0:08:19re-attending hospital quite so quickly.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21This is a fantastic thing. You get the feeling,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24why hasn't it been rolled out across the NHS as a whole?
0:08:26 > 0:08:29'Providing elderly patients with some basic essentials
0:08:29 > 0:08:32'as they adjust to being back at home is one of those
0:08:32 > 0:08:35'ideas that seems obvious as soon as you hear it.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38'But, until I came here, I hadn't really considered that
0:08:38 > 0:08:41'hospital catering doesn't need to end on the wards.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46'An added bonus is that, because all the items in the bag are staples
0:08:46 > 0:08:49'usually available within any hospital catering department,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53'it should be straightforward for other places to adopt the idea.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58'But to see how it works in practice I'm going to
0:08:58 > 0:09:03'follow 86-year-old Elizabeth as she's discharged from hospital.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05'She's the first patient who'll be taking home
0:09:05 > 0:09:07'one of the hospital's bags.'
0:09:08 > 0:09:12- Elizabeth, nice to meet you. You all right?- Yeah.
0:09:12 > 0:09:1432 days, have you been in?
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- Yes, I've been in a long time. Had a pacemaker...- Have you?- ..fitted.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- It's working, though! - It is working.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24And how are you feeling? You all right?
0:09:24 > 0:09:26I'll get right when I get home.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28You looking forward to it?
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I am and I'm not. I'm frightened, really, you know?
0:09:31 > 0:09:33What's frightening you?
0:09:33 > 0:09:37Well, staying there on my own. Just me and t'cat.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42You've gone and got some things from this bag.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44This is going to be a bit of help for you as well,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46- I suppose, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49- Oh, it is now.- This gives you a little bit of a head start, anyway.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- Yeah.- Eh?- Yeah.- I'm going to come home with you, as well.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57- Yeah. Are you?- I think so, yeah. So have you got a kettle, some coffee?
0:09:57 > 0:10:01- Yeah.- Good.- I don't know what t'house is like, whether it needs cleaning!
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Well, we'll clean it. I'm pretty good. I'm pretty good at cleaning.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06- I can clean an oven really well. - All right, then.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- Shall we get you home?- Yeah, please.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17This is a story right across the NHS on a daily basis.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21It shows how important this idea could be and how many people
0:10:21 > 0:10:23it could benefit, because, you know,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25it's all very well, she's got support here
0:10:25 > 0:10:29and everything, but she's worried about what she's taking as well,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32what tablets she's got to take, and worrying about the food,
0:10:32 > 0:10:35worrying about her cat, worrying about her heating.
0:10:35 > 0:10:36It's just eye-opening.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42'Chesterfield Royal says that as many as 246 elderly patients a year
0:10:42 > 0:10:44'are continually readmitted,
0:10:44 > 0:10:49'costing the hospital over £3.5 million annually.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52'With this service and with the support of organisations
0:10:52 > 0:10:53'like the British Red Cross,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56'they hope to drastically reduce this number.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01'It seems so simple but most elderly patients just need a little extra care
0:11:01 > 0:11:06'and some basic supplies to get them through the early stages of going home.'
0:11:07 > 0:11:09So you guys make sure they're comfortable?
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Yeah. This is where we step in now.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15We'll start visiting Liz for anything up to a month
0:11:15 > 0:11:17just to make sure she's going to be OK.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21We want to make sure Liz doesn't bounce back into hospital.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23And we've got to make sure she can stay at home
0:11:23 > 0:11:26and stay at home in a safe manner as well.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31You can tell from Elizabeth's health, really, that she can't
0:11:31 > 0:11:34really get out and about for at least a week or two yet
0:11:34 > 0:11:37so anything that can be done to help
0:11:37 > 0:11:41make her transition a lot easier is a huge bonus.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Better get the kettle on, hadn't I, really?
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Right, Elizabeth. Anybody'd think you like cats!
0:11:48 > 0:11:50THEY CHUCKLE
0:11:52 > 0:11:56- So how does it feel to be home? - Lovely.- Yeah?- I'm just...
0:11:56 > 0:11:57Yeah, it is lovely.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02This benefits you so much, doesn't it? You wanted a cup of tea -
0:12:02 > 0:12:04- there was no milk in your fridge normally.- No.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07- To get milk like that must help you a lot?- Yeah.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Well, thank you for letting me be a part of your life.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Only for a small amount of time, but thank you very much.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16- I've enjoyed it.- It's been fantastic.- Lovely. Come again.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Out of all the places I've had to visit,
0:12:21 > 0:12:25this is probably the least amount of work I've had to do.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27And that's thanks to Kim.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31She's been the figurehead of leading this forward.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33You can see what's going to happen.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38When somebody like Elizabeth goes home, the door closes,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42you become lonely, anything can happen, so you pick up the phone,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44you phone 999 and you're back in hospital again.
0:12:44 > 0:12:45It costs the NHS even more money.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47And I think the added benefit,
0:12:47 > 0:12:52the added support you can give them once they leave hospital,
0:12:52 > 0:12:59is a huge ask, but the benefits way outweigh the negatives, in my opinion.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04'Great ideas such as this deserve a bigger audience.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07'Sharing initiatives like this is exactly the point
0:13:07 > 0:13:12'of my website and of the big event I'm organising to launch it.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14'So I have a favour to ask Kim before I leave.'
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I'm putting together about 150 people -
0:13:20 > 0:13:23the great and the good of the NHS.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26I'd love you to stand up on a lectern and say,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30just for a few minutes, about the experiences that you've had
0:13:30 > 0:13:32and just tell a wider audience.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35- Would that be possible?- Absolutely. Of course it would. Absolutely.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38'It's great that Kim has agreed to take part in the event.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41'Obviously, I can talk about the successes we've achieved
0:13:41 > 0:13:43'but it'll be much more effective
0:13:43 > 0:13:48'if the people who come hear what's possible directly from their peers.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51'Before that, though, it's back to another hospital I've been
0:13:51 > 0:13:55'working closely with - the Princess Alexandra in Harlow, Essex.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00'Its catering department has been running at a £19,000 loss,
0:14:00 > 0:14:01'putting their jobs at risk.'
0:14:03 > 0:14:07You know that, any point in time, all of you could lose your jobs.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09Which is frightening. Frightening.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11I'm clear that if we make it profitable
0:14:11 > 0:14:15then we can put some of that money back into patient food.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20'By introducing new, more broadly appealing recipes,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22'it's hoped we can push up profits in the restaurant.'
0:14:22 > 0:14:25The Moroccan salad is just something different.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27It makes a change from the usual salads that we have.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31'And streamlining the operation by switching from a two-week
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'menu cycle to one-week should make it more cost effective.'
0:14:35 > 0:14:37I want to get rid of one week.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39The look on your face!
0:14:39 > 0:14:42'The whole team has embraced the changes I've suggested to try
0:14:42 > 0:14:47'and turn things around but one man has particularly impressed me -
0:14:47 > 0:14:49'senior catering manager Andy Slade.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53'He's been instrumental in implementing my ideas
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'and he's massively respected by everyone in the hospital.'
0:14:57 > 0:15:01He listens to you. He will. If he can help on anything, he's good.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03I've known him help a lot of lads in here.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07He's very caring. He comes across that he's not, but he is.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09He's a very caring gentlemen.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11He's almost like a father figure really.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13He really does look after us.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16I think this is what he considers part of his family.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19You know, I really do think it is.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21If you cut him, he'd bleed NHS.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25'After working at the hospital for 26 years, Andy is retiring
0:15:25 > 0:15:28'in a few months, and there's no doubt he'll be missed.'
0:15:30 > 0:15:33It's hard, really, I suppose, to talk about going
0:15:33 > 0:15:36because I get a big buzz out of doing what I do.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39You're only as good as your team, I think, at the end of the day,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41and I've got a very good team here.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43We all work well together, really.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46We are a team and, the way I look at it,
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I'm just a cog in a wheel, at the end of the day.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51We're all cogs in wheels and we make that big wheel go round
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and that's the important part of it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57'But I think Andy's underselling what he's achieved here in Harlow,
0:15:57 > 0:15:59'and the trust agrees.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01'So, to mark all his hard work,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04'we've arranged a little surprise for him.'
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Can we get all you guys in front of there? That's it.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11'The restaurant is at the heart of the hospital
0:16:11 > 0:16:14'and today it's being renamed in Andy's honour,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18'so that all his years of service will never be forgotten.'
0:16:18 > 0:16:19Oh, sorry.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22'But I'm not sure how this shy gent will react
0:16:22 > 0:16:24'to such a very public show of affection.'
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- What's this, a guard of honour? - Yeah. It looks like it.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28Hello.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30APPLAUSE
0:16:31 > 0:16:33I said, "She's stitched me up!"
0:16:33 > 0:16:35LAUGHTER
0:16:35 > 0:16:38This is a little something that I wanted to put together
0:16:38 > 0:16:41because you've been here since what, 1987?
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Round about then.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46And you were kind enough, after all those years, to even invite me
0:16:46 > 0:16:48here to give you a hand as well.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Now, what's the name of the restaurant?
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It's basically called the Alexandra restaurant.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- Not any more, boss. - Oh, isn't it? Not really.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Because we're going to rename it.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01APPLAUSE
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Your name will still be here long after you've gone.
0:17:04 > 0:17:05I can't believe that.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10I can't believe I'm going to be named after a restaurant.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13I think he was more shocked than anything else.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16But it's a lovely tribute to him. It's well deserved.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20He's been here 26 years. He deserves it.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23It's fantastic. Brilliant.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Look after yourself. And you. I haven't gone yet!
0:17:27 > 0:17:31I think he was pleased with it. Yeah, I think he's... It's nice.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Great. Great bloke.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36One of the best managers I've ever worked for.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Should have done that 20 years ago!
0:17:38 > 0:17:40LAUGHTER
0:17:40 > 0:17:41APPLAUSE
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I think stuff like that is so important
0:17:44 > 0:17:46because, you know, what do you give him?
0:17:46 > 0:17:50What can you give him for that much service?
0:17:50 > 0:17:54And I think something like that will certainly live with him
0:17:54 > 0:17:56for the rest of his life.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58'But before I leave, it's back to business
0:17:58 > 0:18:00'and I grab Andy and Jonathan
0:18:00 > 0:18:02'to talk about what still needs to be done if they're
0:18:02 > 0:18:07'to convince chief exec Melanie that the department should be saved.'
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Now, with this and together with all the new dishes and bits and pieces
0:18:12 > 0:18:14and the stuff that we've developed,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17we've got a month, obviously, before we present this back to Melanie
0:18:17 > 0:18:19- so it would be good to get some facts and figures.- Yeah.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Over the period of the next four weeks, it'll stabilise down
0:18:22 > 0:18:27and we can then present our case to her.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Then hopefully we'll get rid of this damn cloud over our heads.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33Well, we've done as much as I can
0:18:33 > 0:18:36in the space of time that we've had, really.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38It's not the easiest thing to resolve,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40but if we can get cold, hard facts and figures
0:18:40 > 0:18:44about profit and loss then it goes a long way to it.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47I'm hoping to see revenue increase. That's what I'd really like to see.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51I want to see more people come to the restaurant that wouldn't normally come through.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53By the end of the month,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55I'm hopeful that we're going to get the fine tuning complete
0:18:55 > 0:19:00on the patient menu and that will be cemented then and just roll forward.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03At the end of the day, we're all working together to sort of say,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05"OK, what have we got to do to get it right?"
0:19:07 > 0:19:09'My work at Harlow is now over
0:19:09 > 0:19:13'and it's up to the team to push forward the ideas I've introduced.
0:19:13 > 0:19:18'They only have four weeks before they need to present their new figures to Melanie.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22'Hopefully then we'll know if what we've done is enough to save the team's jobs.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33'Andy and Jonathan from Harlow were two of the chefs that
0:19:33 > 0:19:37'came along to the cookery school I held at my house a few weeks ago.'
0:19:37 > 0:19:38It's not like school.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41You can actually sit at the front if you want!
0:19:41 > 0:19:44'20 chefs and catering managers from across the country
0:19:44 > 0:19:47'listened to my ideas and thoughts on how to improve the food
0:19:47 > 0:19:50'they serve to patients.'
0:19:50 > 0:19:52This is a huge, huge step forward.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56'My goal was to transform things on a much bigger scale.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58'And some of those who attended
0:19:58 > 0:20:00'have already started to roll out my changes.'
0:20:00 > 0:20:04Over a month has passed since we gave an open invitation to the NHS.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Over 20 people arrived at my house with
0:20:07 > 0:20:09a view of doing sort of like a cook school.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11The good news is we're up in Lancaster
0:20:11 > 0:20:14to visit a chef who's taken that advice on board and is trying to
0:20:14 > 0:20:18roll out what we've achieved so far in other hospitals around Britain.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23'Andy Bickle is the head chef at Furness General, part of
0:20:23 > 0:20:27'a trust with three hospitals across Lancashire and the Lake District.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31'After seeing a tweet I posted about the cookery school,
0:20:31 > 0:20:36'he responded and made the 600-mile round trip to find out more.'
0:20:36 > 0:20:38James has got some really good ideas.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41I really think keeping in-house catering is the way forward
0:20:41 > 0:20:43so I think I'll take his recipes away, take them back
0:20:43 > 0:20:46and obviously get the staff in and see what they think.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50'I was encouraged by Andy's enthusiasm at the cookery school
0:20:50 > 0:20:54'so now I'm interested in seeing what he's managed to implement back at his hospital.'
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Good to see you again. How did you find the day?
0:20:57 > 0:21:00Really good. Yeah. Really informative.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02Took quite a lot out of it.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05You know, cutting back on waste, using fresh ingredients,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08which we already do, but the importance of why we do it.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Leaving that place and leaving there, what have you implemented?
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Yeah, we went back and spoke to my manager, obviously
0:21:15 > 0:21:17explained to her what happened throughout the day.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20I spoke with the chefs, we did some demonstrations of the food
0:21:20 > 0:21:25that you did on the day, also some other recipes, and we've looked
0:21:25 > 0:21:30now at implementing your recipes within to the patients' menus.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34You're one of the people who have actually taken this on board quite substantially
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and you're basically travelling around each hospital.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38Is that the idea of it?
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Yeah, we have three different sites within this trust.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44There's Furness General, where I work.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48This is Royal Lancaster Infirmary and then there's Kendal as well.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53So I've come to Lancaster to tell the chefs what's going on with you,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56what we've took away from the day and what we want to implement here.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00And then tomorrow I'm off to Kendal to do exactly the same again.
0:22:00 > 0:22:05'Next, Andy gathers the team together to sample some of my suggested recipes.'
0:22:05 > 0:22:10Right, so we've got the roast shoulder of pork with apple sauce,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13which we produced this morning from your recipe book.
0:22:13 > 0:22:14Beef and mushroom pie
0:22:14 > 0:22:19and the Mediterranean vegetable gratin with mature Cheddar cheese.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21I've come this morning obviously to work with Lee
0:22:21 > 0:22:23and Lee's worked with us on all these recipes.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25How did you find it?
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Simple. Very easy, yes.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- It worked out all right for you? - Yeah. Yeah.- Yeah. And doable?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Yeah, easily doable.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35- It's really good, this. - It's nice, isn't it?
0:22:35 > 0:22:39- That's really nice. - It's all right, isn't it?
0:22:39 > 0:22:41- Simple but effective.- Yeah.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43And cost-wise, all these are in for you as well?
0:22:43 > 0:22:45- Yeah.- They all work out.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49I think they're working out under 80p per portion.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50- So well in, well in?- Yeah.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56'Making all the recipes work to tight hospital budgets was key when I devised the dishes -
0:22:56 > 0:22:58'something that Andy quickly picks up on.'
0:22:58 > 0:23:02- Butternut squash soup - 13p a portion.- 13p a portion?
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Yeah, it's nothing.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08Cauliflower and apple - 11p.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13So, for all the recipes you've given us, working it out for how many we supply,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17that's how much it's going to cost per portion on each thing.
0:23:17 > 0:23:199p - leek and potato soup.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- Not bad, is it?- Pretty good.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25- 9p?- Yeah. It's nothing.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31'But if I thought I was going to get away without doing any work myself, I was sadly mistaken.'
0:23:31 > 0:23:34- Which one do you want first? - I need stock as well.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35Have you got a paddle?
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Beautiful.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43That's for you, Chef.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Round two.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51- Obviously this one's better cos I made this one.- Easy now!
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- Nice, eh?- Oh, that's nice.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58'Before I made the call to NHS chefs to help with this campaign,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02'I'd only been able to effect change in hospitals I'd visited personally.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'Now, thanks to them, the roll-out is happening across the country.'
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- Andy, amazing job today.- Cheers. Thank you.- Fantastic.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10- And I want to thank you as well because...- Cheers, mate.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13I want to thank you for coming down to the house
0:24:13 > 0:24:16because I genuinely thought I'd be stood there on my own.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18But I want to thank you for pushing this forward.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20It's good to have you on-side.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23It's that somebody with a bit of a profile can take interest
0:24:23 > 0:24:28in what we're doing and appreciate the importance of in-house catering,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- freshly cooked and fresh ingredients. - Fantastic.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33- Thank you very much.- Thank you. - Thank you.- It's been a pleasure.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35Top man.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37It's been an incredible success, really,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39that initial response to the cook school.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42I never thought, literally when 20 of them would arrive,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46we'd get to the situation now where I'm travelling all around the UK,
0:24:46 > 0:24:50looking at what has happened since then.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52'There's been times when I wasn't really getting anywhere.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56'You know, you were hitting a brick wall all the time
0:24:56 > 0:24:57'and I think this has given me,'
0:24:57 > 0:25:00and certainly given the project, a new lease of life, really.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03And big things can happen
0:25:03 > 0:25:07when a group of people start to communicate with each other.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11'And Morecambe Bay isn't the only trust to have taken something
0:25:11 > 0:25:14'away from my cookery school.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17'At the opposite end of the country, in both Dorchester
0:25:17 > 0:25:20'and Southampton, some of the other catering managers who
0:25:20 > 0:25:23'came along have started rolling out my ideas.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26'But this is just the start.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30'There are over 2,000 hospitals within the UK
0:25:30 > 0:25:33'and I don't want anybody to feel left out.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37'So it's the next stage that feels like the biggest opportunity yet
0:25:37 > 0:25:39'to make a difference nationwide.'
0:25:39 > 0:25:43To implement change on a larger scale, it's communication.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47And now with, obviously, social media, Twitter and websites,
0:25:47 > 0:25:52I thought, "What better way to put together a website where anybody,
0:25:52 > 0:25:58"from a chef to a kitchen porter to a head of a trust, can go online,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01"access all that information that we've learnt
0:26:01 > 0:26:04"over those 3½ years, put all of that information together
0:26:04 > 0:26:06"and make it accessible to all?"
0:26:06 > 0:26:09'My website is now more than just an idea -
0:26:09 > 0:26:12'it's ready to unveil at my launch event.'
0:26:12 > 0:26:13Test, one, two.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18'But this is more than just a website -
0:26:18 > 0:26:21'it's a central resource tool that provides answers to the problems
0:26:21 > 0:26:26'that have prevented progress in improving hospital food over the decades.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30'In the absence of mandatory national nutritional standards in England,
0:26:30 > 0:26:34'this will enable trusts to access advice and guidance on how this
0:26:34 > 0:26:36'business model can work for them.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42'I've also included versions of my recipes that you can make at home,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46'as these aren't just meals for the poorly - they're examples of how to
0:26:46 > 0:26:50'eat nutritionally balanced food on a budget.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51'There's also stacks
0:26:51 > 0:26:54'of other information any hospital can tap into.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58'So I've invited trusts from across the UK to come
0:26:58 > 0:27:02'to the Royal College of Nursing in London to find out more.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05'And, as the day arrives, I'm excited about
0:27:05 > 0:27:09'getting the message out to as many hospitals as will listen.'
0:27:09 > 0:27:11People deserve decent food in the NHS.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15We pay a lot of money, us lot, everybody - everybody here today
0:27:15 > 0:27:20pays a lot of money to be able to have decent food.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21It's not a big ask.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23'Though I'm confident about the message,
0:27:23 > 0:27:28'the prospect of talking to so many people in such a prestigious venue
0:27:28 > 0:27:29'is pretty daunting.'
0:27:29 > 0:27:31The first thing you realise
0:27:31 > 0:27:33when you walk in here is the size of the place. It's massive.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36And this is a pretty impressive room, really.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41This is where everybody's going to come and have drinks beforehand.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45This is now starting to make me a bit nervous, to be honest.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48It's the first time ever - ever - I've got a speech written down.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52And I'm dyslexic. This'll go down really well, won't it?
0:27:52 > 0:27:54We anticipate literally
0:27:54 > 0:27:58all 120-odd people are going to turn up and take part.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Just to get that amount of people here is a huge, huge ask.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10It's going to be good, though, isn't it?
0:28:10 > 0:28:13'In a matter of hours, people will start arriving
0:28:13 > 0:28:16'so it's crucial that everything runs smoothly.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20'With the stakes so high, I don't want to leave anything to chance.'
0:28:20 > 0:28:24For us to have 50 trusts, the bosses of 50 trusts here today,
0:28:24 > 0:28:31you think of what change that can do if those 50 people take
0:28:31 > 0:28:36even 10, 15% of what we talked about today on board, to go back to their
0:28:36 > 0:28:41hospitals, how many people that is going to benefit on a daily basis.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44I think getting those people together in one room to
0:28:44 > 0:28:47discuss food for the afternoon -
0:28:47 > 0:28:50big things are going to come out of today, I guarantee it.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54'But I'm not doing this alone. Friends old and new who've
0:28:54 > 0:28:58'helped me throughout my campaign are here to champion the cause.'
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Good to see you. Oh, they're all here. You all right?
0:29:02 > 0:29:05'Everyone has kindly agreed to come and help me
0:29:05 > 0:29:08'convince other hospitals that this is the way forward.'
0:29:08 > 0:29:11This is where they're all going to come in first of all.
0:29:11 > 0:29:18There's about 130. We've got nearly 56 NHS trusts coming,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21so it's quite a big one today.
0:29:22 > 0:29:26'I'm hoping that once they've heard testimonies from their peers
0:29:26 > 0:29:30'that, despite decades of failed initiatives, change is possible,
0:29:30 > 0:29:31'they'll pick up the baton
0:29:31 > 0:29:34'and roll out new systems in their own hospitals.'
0:29:34 > 0:29:37I'll bring each one individually on stage
0:29:37 > 0:29:42to do your little five-minute turn, if that's OK. All happy with that?
0:29:42 > 0:29:44- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:29:44 > 0:29:48'I realise I'm asking a lot of these people and each of them
0:29:48 > 0:29:51'has already done so much to help me improve hospital food.'
0:29:51 > 0:29:54I just wanted to say, "Thank you all for coming."
0:29:54 > 0:29:58I know it's a big ask getting you guys up on this lectern and talking
0:29:58 > 0:30:01but this is something I feel massively passionate about.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Without your help and your support,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06we couldn't have pushed this to a level to where we are now.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10This was in my wildest dreams when I started this four years ago.
0:30:10 > 0:30:11Never thought I'd be doing this.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13I'm as nervous as you are
0:30:13 > 0:30:17but I just want to say, enjoy it, embrace it
0:30:17 > 0:30:21and thank you for all your support because this is fantastic
0:30:21 > 0:30:25and I cannot tell you how much I really, really thank you.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27We'll follow you, then.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30It's filling up.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32'As the rest of the guests start to arrive,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36'the enormity of the event really starts to kick in.'
0:30:37 > 0:30:40- Operation Hospital Food. - Thank you. Just join the queue.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44'Now I'm having to speak in public, I'm really, really nervous.'
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Big time nervous. Not a little bit. Big.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49You always get a bit nervous, don't you? But, I mean, if you
0:30:49 > 0:30:52didn't get nervous, I don't think you'd be normal.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54'The room's starting to fill up
0:30:54 > 0:30:57'and people seem very clear on what they want to get out of the day.'
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Hopefully we can get some innovation around some of the ideas,
0:31:00 > 0:31:03we can only aim to get better and better in terms of what
0:31:03 > 0:31:05we deliver as services to our patients, really.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09My main hope for today is to get some new ideas of how we can improve
0:31:09 > 0:31:12the menu and the way that we serve food.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Picking his brains, really, is the whole aim of the day.
0:31:17 > 0:31:18If we can put even
0:31:18 > 0:31:20a couple of things into practice to make
0:31:20 > 0:31:22it better for patients, then that's got to be a good thing.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28OK, ladies and gents, we have a full house.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30Let's go for it. Follow me.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39I'm probably feeling as about as nervous as they are, to be honest.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41I've got my script. I don't do scripts.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44So...proper nervous, but here goes.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50'Well, all the preparation is done. I know my ideas work
0:31:50 > 0:31:52'so now I just have to convince the room
0:31:52 > 0:31:55'that their hospitals should take them on board.'
0:31:58 > 0:32:01Thank you very much. To be honest, I've been quite lucky -
0:32:01 > 0:32:02I've never been into hospital.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06But one thing I did remember from my childhood -
0:32:06 > 0:32:09the one person that was a huge inspiration on me as a young kid
0:32:09 > 0:32:11was my grandmother.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16What she had to suffer in hospital was probably one of the most
0:32:16 > 0:32:19traumatic things, I think, any young kid wants to see, really.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21For somebody who, literally, was
0:32:21 > 0:32:25so passionate with food, get given the food she was given -
0:32:25 > 0:32:27to really see that really struck a nerve
0:32:27 > 0:32:29and, from there, the idea of it started.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30The key to it all working
0:32:30 > 0:32:32was that we serve better food at the end of it,
0:32:32 > 0:32:34it doesn't cost the taxpayer any more money,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37it doesn't cost the hospital any more money
0:32:37 > 0:32:40and we work with the parameters of what they've got.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44'An issue I've come across in the past is that some hospitals
0:32:44 > 0:32:48'refuse to accept they could do things better.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51'But while obviously there are those who get it right,
0:32:51 > 0:32:52'there are plenty who don't,
0:32:52 > 0:32:55'so to illustrate the problem throughout the NHS, I've brought
0:32:55 > 0:32:59'along a few pictures of what the reality for some patients can be.'
0:33:01 > 0:33:06I asked the general public at large to send in pictures, e-mails,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09thoughts on the food currently served in the NHS.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11This will probably shock you.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14That's one. It gets worse.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17This was actually served to a patient, buttered with the mould on.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19AUDIENCE MURMURS
0:33:19 > 0:33:21So that was quite a big shocking thing for me
0:33:21 > 0:33:23and, I think, a shocking thing for you guys.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27And it goes to prove we can all do better right across the board.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29'That got their attention!
0:33:29 > 0:33:32'So it's time to hear from the hospitals I've already helped
0:33:32 > 0:33:34'to show what can be done.'
0:33:34 > 0:33:39I was very sceptical, very apprehensive, when the idea was
0:33:39 > 0:33:41put forward to me about opening the doors
0:33:41 > 0:33:43to a professional celebrity chef.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46I thought, "All I need now is for somebody to come in and tell me
0:33:46 > 0:33:50"that, for the last 40 years, I've probably got it all wrong."
0:33:50 > 0:33:52However, when James actually came in to our department,
0:33:52 > 0:33:54straightaway he fitted into the team.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57I mean, he was part of the team.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59It's fairly easy to actually implement.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02We found it fairly simple to actually do.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06So thanks ever so much for all your help, James. Thank you very much.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16Cheers, Andy. As I said, happy retirement, buddy. You deserve it.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19'Next on the stage are Kim from the Chesterfield Royal
0:34:19 > 0:34:21'and Stephen from the Royal Oldham,
0:34:21 > 0:34:25'where I was asked to come up with recipes for the children's menu.'
0:34:28 > 0:34:31We had to look at specifics for our children's menu and
0:34:31 > 0:34:36they preferred simple dishes like pizzas, burgers, chicken nuggets.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38The idea we had was to give patients
0:34:38 > 0:34:41who stayed in hospital for a long period of time
0:34:41 > 0:34:45the chance to take home some basic food essentials so they could
0:34:45 > 0:34:49feed themselves from the moment they walked through their front door.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52James, together working with the chefs, prepared these dishes
0:34:52 > 0:34:56out of simple recipes using fresh basic ingredients.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00They travelled well and they were simple to use.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05'There's support, too, from plenty of others who've helped out along the way.'
0:35:05 > 0:35:07The hospital couldn't pass up the opportunity to be
0:35:07 > 0:35:11a part of this nationwide campaign to improve hospital food.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13The food trolley is just as important as the drug trolley.
0:35:13 > 0:35:18If you use the sorts of talents that people like James have,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20what you can do
0:35:20 > 0:35:25is produce appetizing, interesting, nourishing food.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28'By working together with all these hospitals
0:35:28 > 0:35:32'and organisations, we've been able to make things better
0:35:32 > 0:35:37'for the people who really matter in all of this - the patients.'
0:35:37 > 0:35:39I think the food's excellent.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41- Absolutely delicious. - It was gorgeous.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44The food - it's been very, very nice. No complaints whatsoever.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46I said to the physiotherapist,
0:35:46 > 0:35:48"Any chance of staying another week?"
0:35:50 > 0:35:54'But I want patients in every UK hospital to experience better food
0:35:54 > 0:35:57'and, now it's clear how these ideas have already worked,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59'the moment's arrived to explain
0:35:59 > 0:36:02'how trusts everywhere can start using them too.'
0:36:03 > 0:36:07So we've created a website that we've developed with the hospitals.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09This is going to be accessible for all.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12The main aim is to create an easy-to-use site where people can
0:36:12 > 0:36:15just dip in and out of whenever they want.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17But it really covers everything,
0:36:17 > 0:36:19from my thoughts of hospital catering,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22key issues and challenges surrounding local procurement,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25everything you need to do to maximise the turnover of the restaurant.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29There are enough recipes on here to put together a full weekly menu.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31There's really no downside to this,
0:36:31 > 0:36:33so I hope that every single hospital,
0:36:33 > 0:36:37I hope that every single trust here, takes a little bit of that advice
0:36:37 > 0:36:40away to improve hospital food for the better. Thank you very much.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46'So, the idea's finally out there.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49'I just hope this template will convince everyone in the room
0:36:49 > 0:36:52'that improving their food will benefit not just them but,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54'more importantly, their patients.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00'While they all take a break to discuss what they've heard,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03'I grab Andy to find out the latest from the Princess Alexandra
0:37:03 > 0:37:07'and discover the verdict from his CEO, Melanie.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10'When I first arrived at the hospital, their kitchens were under
0:37:10 > 0:37:15threat of being shut down because their budget was firmly in the red.'
0:37:15 > 0:37:18It's very tight and, at the moment, I'm overspending.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20'As well as cutting down the number of dishes
0:37:20 > 0:37:22'by switching to a weekly menu,
0:37:22 > 0:37:24'I introduced new initiatives to raise more revenue
0:37:24 > 0:37:26'from the on-site restaurant...
0:37:29 > 0:37:32'..the idea being not just to get them back in the black,
0:37:32 > 0:37:34'but to generate resources
0:37:34 > 0:37:37'that can be put back into further improvements.'
0:37:37 > 0:37:41I had the soup and I thought it was absolutely yummy. Really scrummy.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43'So, a month after my last visit,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46'has it been enough to turn things around?'
0:37:46 > 0:37:49- So, Melanie, how's it going anyway? - It's been brilliant.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52It's caused a great deal of excitement in the hospital,
0:37:52 > 0:37:53which, I think, has energized.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58In terms of the restaurant, staff are really enjoying the new choices.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02We reckon we'll have turned that loss by the end of the year
0:38:02 > 0:38:05and probably be in surplus for next year if it carries on at that rate.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09Which is amazing, isn't it? What was it, about 17 grand?
0:38:09 > 0:38:12To turn that around in three months and then you're going to be...
0:38:12 > 0:38:16And a full year of that would be £46,000.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18- 46 grand profit?- Yeah.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21- If it keeps going at that level. - Pretty good, that.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25But, as I say, if we can turn things around, make a bit more profit,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28perhaps we can plough a little bit of that back into the restaurant
0:38:28 > 0:38:30and hopefully that may even increase income even more.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33To turn that deficit around from a 17-grand loss to
0:38:33 > 0:38:38a, potentially 46, 50-grand profit, it's fantastic news for you as well.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41It takes a lot of pressure off the decision you're having to make -
0:38:41 > 0:38:43it eases a little bit.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Yeah, no. Absolutely.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48So, as we're going, it's a steady up climb, but things are looking good?
0:38:48 > 0:38:49Yeah, no, brilliant.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52I'm just so pleased I was able to come in and give you a hand
0:38:52 > 0:38:54cos I think what you do is amazing.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57'I'm really proud of what we've managed to achieve at Harlow
0:38:57 > 0:39:01'and I'm hoping that that the changes we've made go a long way
0:39:01 > 0:39:06'in securing the catering team's jobs for the foreseeable future.'
0:39:06 > 0:39:08How cool is that? Brilliant.
0:39:08 > 0:39:09What is amazing about this
0:39:09 > 0:39:12is to have a situation like we were put in,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15where you have that cloud over their head and to turn it round
0:39:15 > 0:39:21from a 17-grand loss to a potential 50-grand profit - it's brilliant.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Just brilliant.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28'Also among today's guests is head of facilities from a hospital
0:39:28 > 0:39:30'I spent a lot of time at last year -
0:39:30 > 0:39:33'the Royal Orthopaedic in Birmingham.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38'I invited Emma to come along to share her experiences with
0:39:38 > 0:39:41'the representatives from other trusts
0:39:41 > 0:39:43'and she's got a great story to tell.'
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Now, you've got some news from Birmingham?
0:39:46 > 0:39:48So what's been happening there?
0:39:48 > 0:39:50We've gone from strength to strength.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Since you've left, we've really taken everything that you've done.
0:39:53 > 0:39:54Obviously the biggest thing was waste.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- We are 10% on a bad day now.- Really?
0:39:57 > 0:40:00And we can drop it lower. It depends on the patient turnaround.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03So that's made a significant difference to the budget.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05So that pile of food we saw the very, very first week,
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- that's no longer there?- It's gone. It's gone. It does not happen.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11One of the other things is the restaurant is doing incredibly well,
0:40:11 > 0:40:16the baguettes are still flying out and we are now taking an extra 32%.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18- 32% up?- 32% up.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20You've got a new lease of life.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22We have and the entire team have.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24That's great news. I'll leave you to mingle.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28- Thanks for coming.- No worries. - Great success for them. Brilliant!
0:40:30 > 0:40:34'It's great to hear that there have been such long-term benefits
0:40:34 > 0:40:37'and that the team is so successfully moving things forward.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41'And, of course, the whole point of the website and the event today
0:40:41 > 0:40:44'is that every hospital can have a taste of that, too.'
0:40:45 > 0:40:46Anybody else?
0:40:47 > 0:40:50'But as us chefs say, the proof's in the pudding.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53'So, before everyone goes home, they sample some of the recipes
0:40:53 > 0:40:57'they could soon be serving patients in their own hospitals.'
0:40:58 > 0:41:00Toffee pudding, anybody?
0:41:00 > 0:41:04'And it's a chance to see how many plan to take up my ideas.'
0:41:04 > 0:41:08The thing for me was the take-home packs for people
0:41:08 > 0:41:11who are leaving hospital. I think that's a really great idea.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14I've jotted down some ideas to take back that we can use
0:41:14 > 0:41:17really fairly quickly if we put our mind to it and focus on it.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21We currently use a two-week menu, which we find works quite well,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24but we will review that in light of James's comments.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27We found the presentation this afternoon really interesting
0:41:27 > 0:41:30and there's already three or four ideas what we've jotted down today
0:41:30 > 0:41:33that we'll be looking to implement in the next two or three weeks.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I absolutely defy anyone
0:41:35 > 0:41:36to have walked out of that room
0:41:36 > 0:41:39and not feel fired up to do something different,
0:41:39 > 0:41:41so I thought it was well worth the visit up.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44I believe today is the start of the journey for change
0:41:44 > 0:41:46and James has made that happen and I don't think
0:41:46 > 0:41:49he should underestimate what he's actually done.
0:41:51 > 0:41:55'From now, every hospital can easily find the tools
0:41:55 > 0:41:59'and the recipes that can help them improve their catering.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02'And while, in many ways, that's just the start,
0:42:02 > 0:42:06'it also feels like the end of what I'd hoped to achieve.'
0:42:06 > 0:42:11These guys in this room can change a huge part of the picture.
0:42:11 > 0:42:16But as from today, there's not a lot more I can do.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20The website was actually a thought I had over a pint.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23I was thinking, "How the hell can you get this out to everybody?"
0:42:23 > 0:42:27And the website will go a long way to progressing this forward.
0:42:27 > 0:42:28So it's kind of a win-win, really,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31whereas there's nothing else really like that out there,
0:42:31 > 0:42:35so there is really no more excuses.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37We've done the hard work,
0:42:37 > 0:42:41we've done the groundwork, we've put everything out there -
0:42:41 > 0:42:44it's up to them whether they take it forward now.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48'For me, this has always been more than simply a TV series.'
0:42:48 > 0:42:53This is my 20th year doing the media sort of side of it and this is
0:42:53 > 0:42:57the one thing I've done in my career that actually makes a difference.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58High-five!
0:42:59 > 0:43:03'Everyone I've met along the way has made it possible
0:43:03 > 0:43:04'to get to this point
0:43:04 > 0:43:07'and I'm so proud of what we've been able to achieve.'
0:43:09 > 0:43:12It's definitely been the hardest thing I've ever done.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Four years down the line, you have a room full of 120 people
0:43:15 > 0:43:18that are going to go away and make a difference and put stuff that
0:43:18 > 0:43:22you've implemented on menus right across the country.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25That's pretty cool, that, isn't it?
0:43:33 > 0:43:35Well, the website is now live.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39Log on to it and make a difference, please, at...