Hospital meals
For inpatients, we provide a wide range of catering services to suit your needs. Our menus have been designed to offer a selection of nutritional meals which cater for all dietary needs. Mealtimes on the wards are protected which means all non-urgent clinical tasks are stopped to allow patients to eat their meals in peace.
Typical mealtimes:
Breakfast: 07.30 - 08.30
Lunch: 12.00 - 13.30
Supper: 17.00 - 18.30
Snacks are also provided in between your meals which consist of a choice of fruit, biscuits, cakes, crisps, chocolate. Patients are offered hot drinks throughout the day, which include tea, coffee, chocolate and fruit teas. Water is available at the bedside at all times.
If you have any special dietary requirements or if you don't like the menu choices, please let your ward housekeeper or member of the ward team know and they will speak to a chef from the catering team.
Please note: If the main hot meal at lunchtime is missed because a patient is off the ward or feels unwell, they can have their hot meal later in the day if they wish.
Your meals
Breakfast - a selection of cereals, fruit juice, yoghurts, porridge and fresh fruit, tea or coffee and fruit juice
Lunch - a main meal, a pudding and tea, coffee or fruit juice
Supper - a selection of freshly made sandwiches, soups ,puddings and tea or coffee.
Dietary requirements
Our specialised diet kitchen caters for patients with specific medical dietary requirements such as food allergies.
There are several choices, including vegetarian options, 'soft foods' for patients who can find food difficult to chew, purée, gluten free, high energy choices and a menu for renal patients. Asian Halal, Vegan and Kosher meals are all available on request.
Red trays, red mats and red lidded jugs
Red Mats / Red trays are available in all areas to visually highlight to staff the patient needs assistance and/or monitoring at mealtimes.
The Red Lid System is a red lid placed on the patient’s water jug and/or red cups/glasses to visually highlight to staff that a patient needs assistance and/or monitoring with hydration at all times.
Patients who have a MUST score of 2 or more will need a Red Mat/ Red Tray and/or Red Lid
All patients who are having a record of intake recorded on a food chart or fluid chart will use the Red Mats and /or Red Tray and/or Red Lid System
The principle of the Red Tray / Red Mat and Red Lid System will be established within the ward routine and structured day
The principles of the Red Tray / Red Mat and Red Lid System is provided in local induction training for all staff
Patients and their relatives must be made aware of the Red Tray and Red Lid System by ward staff
Serco staff will not remove Red Trays from patients without liaising with the nursing staff first
Serco staff will not remove Red Lid drinking device from patients without liaising with the nursing staff first.
If you have any worries or concerns about this, then please speak to the nurse in charge.