FMJ.CO.UK ASHFORD AND ST PETER’S HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST CASE STUDY
APRIL 2022 25
keen to develop a strategy that looked at improved
health, productivity and wellbeing. As the adage
goes, through adversity comes opportunity.
CHANGING TIMES
Previously, ASPH engaged an external
catering supplier. The model was a
straightforward commercial deal,
based on a concession fee - a
common retail contract
arrangement in the NHS.
The food was fairly
typical of a hospital
sta restaurant. In a
survey taken in 2018,
customers gave the
service a 52 per cent
satisfaction rate.
During COVID the
existing contractor o er
became unviable for both
ASPH and the supplier. The
Trust needed service continuity
so it could enact special measures
and avoid some of the usual procurement
red tape.
Working with Neller Davies, which has been
providing food and FM consultancy services since
2017, a strategic plan was developed and endorsed
by the Board.
The plan focussed on engaging the hospital
workforce (clinical and non-clinical) which ensured
collaboration and buy-in from the outset. A
consequence of the plan was to insource all retail
catering services on 1st October 2020.
Bell said: “Our previous contractor did exactly
what we contracted them to do but the truth is that
the contract didn’t provide room for any innovation.
Bringing our services in-house enabled us to change
quickly.
“But we knew that we couldn’t change on our
own and we did need support. We are not catering
experts so we needed advice and help. We wanted to
move from a canteen to a restaurant mentality. We
wanted to change the mindset and it was a real leap
of faith.”
A COLLABORATIVE VISION
A new and ambitious vision was set out to
o er catering services for sta that mirrored
those in other professional settings.
A distinct set of targets to improve
catering standards were developed
to further align them with external
requirements such as Government
Buying Standards, WRAP initiatives and
CQUIN guidance (a framework within
the NHS that supports improvements in
the quality of services). It also aimed to
improve food safety ratings from 3 stars
to 5 stars, and respond to the NHS Food
Review 2020, focussing on food safety and
quality.
In the interests of doing things di erently, it
wanted to achieve similar satisfaction scores to
business and industry or ‘corporate’ establishments,
which regularly score above 70 per cent.
Julian Fris, Director, Neller Davies, said: “Whilst
we knew we were stepping outside of the normal
NHS comfort zone, we had complete faith in our
approach.
“We have extensive experience
of running projects in critical
environments, and we went
through a traditional
governance structure
and followed the
same process. What
was really important
was having that
goodwill, strong
relationships, trust,
and ultimately
meaningful
collaboration.”
The Trust, through
Neller Davies, directly
engaged BM, a workplace
caterer providing services to
the corporate sector, to fast-track
developments. The objective was to give employees
a comparable service to BM’s existing client base of
legal firms, media, financial and tech organisations.
Fris said: “We deliberately went to companies who
didn’t work in a healthcare space. We wanted fresh
eyes on an age-old challenge. Given that workplace
catering was e ectively closed down at this time, BM
had lots of talented people on furlough so it was an
opportune moment to try something new.”
However, without the endorsement of senior
management at the Trust, this bold move would
not have been possible. Fris argues: “It was really
important that the Board bought into the process
from the very outset. This was all about trust.”
The close working relationship and trust that
Fris refers to were evident from an initial £50k
investment signed o by the Trust Board for
equipment, a makeover of the spaces, training and
resources.
Bell added: “Normally, when looking to implement
such a transformational project, there are o‰ en
barriers one has to consider in terms of taking
people on the journey. I’ve been pushing at an open
door from the outset.”
We deliberately went to
companies who didn’t work in a
healthcare space. We wanted fresh
eyes on an age-old challenge. Given that
workplace catering was e ectively closed
down at this time, BM had lots of
talented people on furlough so it was
an opportune moment to try
something new.”