Case Study – Impact of Dietitians
A Trust, serving 2000 meals a day, has a Facilities Dietetic Adviser who works as part of the patient catering team. This has ensured that the nutritional elements and suitability of the patient menu is given a high priority and has also helped to closely link catering with clinical services. Menus and supporting resources have been developed with clinical staff to ensure that they meet the varying needs of patients.
Quality achievements have included:
- A review of the Dietary Coding used on patient menus to ensure that coding is patient focussed, using symbols instead of technical jargon to help patients to make appropriate choices. Higher Energy and Healthier Choice codes are used which comply with the nutritional criteria in the Digest.
- Development of Texture Modified Menus which meet the National Descriptors for Dysphagia diets. Supporting resources have been developed for staff and patients, including posters, photographs, colour coding of textures and coloured labels on products.
- Card Menu Holders and attractive presentation of Menu Inserts which are given to patients to make their menu choices
- A modified Older People’s menu focussed on providing smaller, nourishing helpings of food, some finger food / easier to eat options with tea and cake served in the afternoon.
- Picture Menus available in specific clinical areas and used by clinical staff to help stimulate an interest in food.
- Work with children’s services to produce child friendly menus and supporting information, including allergen information for parents.
- Development of menus to reflect general population eating habits , which have included a bistro style lunch time menu & weekend takeaway theme nights
- Significant increased the nutritional content of the menus without increasing the cost to the organisation by better management of the catering systems.
Source/Reference:
Case study provided by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
