Digital meal ordering improves patient satisfaction

27th May 2022

Civica Catering Management drives food reduction at Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

When the Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food in England was published in October 2020, it put forward eight recommendations for system-level change to help improve standards in hospital catering. One of those was enhanced use of technology, highlighting the role of digital solutions in helping healthcare teams to collate food choices, manage allergies and diets, and minimise waste. 

The Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is doing just that, with the support of Civica Catering Management’s Bedside module – an interactive and personal solution, using tablets to input patient choices at their bedside.

Noting the Hospital Food Review recommendation that every hospital should implement an electronic digital meal ordering system by 2022, the Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Trust now delivers a best-practice solution that continues to drive visibility, efficiency and sustainability across the patient catering operation.

Civica Catering Management (formerly Saffron) is deployed at Chesterfield Royal Hospital under a partnership approach between the NHS Trust and its contract service provider, Sodexo.

By using tablets on the ward, staff can reduce the time between meal ordering and delivery, automatically map food choices to patients’ care plans and dietary needs, all whilst improving the patient experience in line with PLACE (Patient-led Assessments of the Care Environment) guidance. In total, 26 tablets are used at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

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Key outcomes

34% reduction in total food costs

Reduced food waste

50% reduction in service time

Improved patient satisfaction

Kim Beevers,

Facilities Manager,

Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Switching to Civica Catering Management enabled us to drive efficiencies, cut costs and improve the quality of catering provision across the hospital. And those benefits are still being achieved today, in line with raising standards and recommendations set by PLACE and the Hospital Food Review.