Meeting at the Conquest Hospital, St Leonards with Linda Batchelor
(Catering Manager Tuesday 14th August 2012 –
Wendy Stronghill/Ann Hyde-Barnett
We both felt we had a very successful meeting and gained the following
information.
The Conquest cooks all the food for both Eastbourne DGH and their own, it
goes over to Eastbourne chilled. They also oversee Crowborough, Uckfield
and one or two smaller hospitals.
The kitchen is manned from 6.30 am til 9.00 pm, if there are any problems on
the wards, patients can always ask for the kitchen to be contacted, we are
told they will be happy to oblige.
The hot meals are always served with Gluten Free gravy overall.
There is a bedside booklet supplied which includes Special Diets and a form
is also issued daily.
Biscuits and Bread are supplied to each ward so this should always be
available, if they do run out they are encouraged to contact the kitchen within
the hours above.
The Catering Manager is more than happy to visit patients on the ward and
often does so if there are complicated problems.
We have the name of the Catering Manager over at Eastbourne and it might
be a good idea to just have a chat with him regarding what availability is on
the wards there even though the Conquest is the overall supplier.
We came away feeling very positive that everyone should be looked after and
as a bonus the Manager is a Coeliac herself which gives her a greater
understand of what we all have to cope with.
Meeting at the Eastbourne District General Hospital with Andrew Parks
(Catering Manager) Tuesday 11th September 2012Wendy Stronghill/Ann Hyde-Barnett
Again a very successful meeting, as reported all the cooked food is delivered
chilled from the Conquest.
The Kitchen is open from 6am – 6pm however there is a 24 hour availability
of food and there are Chef’s employed to deal with the Special need Diets.
Team Leaders attend until 8.30pm.
There are Ward Coordinators and an assistant who take charge of food on
the Ward therefore if you are not satisfied with anything you receive, they are
the first people to talk to.
There is a traffic Light System in the Kitchen giving details of the Patients
Dietary needs so that confidentiality is kept.
If a complaint is made to the Ward Coordinators and there is no satisfactory
outcome, please get in touch with either myself or Ann and we are assured by
the Catering Manager that he will look into the matter.
He is also quite happy to go and speak to Patients in cases where the diet
may be complicated.
Both Hospital Mangers are deeply committed to their work and ask that they
be told if there is a problem because how else can they know if we the Public
don’t tell them.
As a final note they both assure us we are NOT regarded a nuisance but
must make the needs clear on arrival and if too unwell to do so hopefully a
family member or friend would do that for you.
Meeting at Crowborough Hospital & incorporating Uckfield Hospital
with Marianne Lomax Friday 16th November 2012
Wendy Stronghill
Pauline Geary from Uckfield Hospital sent her apologies and was unable to
attend because of Staff problems.
Ann Hyde-Barnett also sent apologies as she was also unable to attend.
Both Hospitals are run in an equal way and are small in comparison to the 2
large ones in previous reports.
Gluten Free food has to be requested by the Hospital from the caterers on
arrival.
If a Patient is newly diagnosed as Coeliac they would be seen by a Dietician.
Diagnosed Patients who have food at home may on occasions be asked to
bring some of their own food on arrival if they arrive late at night or at the
weekends as it could take 24hrs to organise meals for them.
The meals for both Hospitals are provided by Gems Catering in Hellingly and
arrive chilled to be reheated, there is no kitchen in either placed for food to be
cooked.
No one however would ever have to go hungry as one of two steps can and
would be taken. Marianne herself is a Coeliac and understands the condition
well, she would either send a member of staff out to the local Supermarket or
pop home and pick up something from her own supply.
I am told that the same situation would apply at Uckfield Hospital.
Once again I was warmly welcomed and felt very satisfied with the
arrangements at both Hospitals.