A meal that gets sent back uneaten is a wasted opportunity – both for a patient’s nutrition and for NHS resources.
That’s why Healthcare meals provider, apetito, has launched a
FREE guide packed full of useful information and guidance for hospitals on the “last 9 yards” of healthcare catering.
The guide reinforces how the final moments before food reaches the bedside are just as important as the meal’s nutritional content.
In the fast-paced environment of a busy ward, meal presentation and delivery can easily be overlooked, however a nutritious dish loses much of its potential if it arrives cold, unappealing, or poorly presented. These seemingly small details can have a big impact on a patient’s dining experience, nutritional intake, and even their recovery.
apetito’s guide,
The Importance of the Last 9 Yards: A Healthcare Catering Guide to Operational Excellence, explores numerous aspects including harnessing the power of plate presentation, why it’s essential to employ portion control management and top tips for improving service delivery.
The guide also provides a look at apetito’s unique food waste audit programme that is driving down the waste associated with mealtimes across the NHS, and a case study of Leighton Hospital’s seamless transition to using a preprepared meal service, highlighting the benefits seen in its catering provision through a powerful partnership with the meal provider.
Neil Hargreaves, General Manager for Healthcare at apetito spoke on the importance of sharing practical guidance and support with hospitals to drive excellence in catering operations – with the patient at the centre of every decision:
“Too often, the small changes within catering that can help to boost a patient’s nutritional intake are overlooked in the rush of daily operations and face of labour challenges.
“Our new guide is designed to help hospitals put the ‘last 9 yards’ at the heart of their catering service, ensuring that the final steps before a meal reaches a patient truly count – and can have a significant positive impact on recovery.”
Download your FREE guide to enhance catering operations at your hospital at apetito.link/HCguide 
