Following a recent survey, the Institute of Health & Social Care Management (IHSCM) has highlighted the frustration of NHS staff at the lack of availability of hot food during night and weekend shifts. Furthermore, the results suggest that staff sending out for food to be delivered in is having a negative impact on the hospital’s security service.
The survey, carried out in collaboration with the ‘No Hungry NHS Staff’ campaign, set out to explore the availability of hot food across health and social care during those out-of-hours shifts.
The nearly 250 responses received recorded widespread frustration and indignation at the poor availability of hot food - less than 10% of respondents reported that fresh-made hot food was available 24/7 in their organisations, whilst 38% reported that no food of any type (hot or cold) was available at all. Only 28% of organisations provide hot food of any description - and that includes from vending machines.
Security staff are increasingly being diverted from their duties to act as a concierge for drivers delivering streams of fast food, and contacting the department and ward staff who have placed the orders.
The IHSCM says the reasons provided by organisations for not offering hot food at nights and weekends include cost, lack of demand and staff availability. That there is a demand, it says, is clear, from the prevalence of reports of food being delivered in to staff. Furthermore, where hot food is made available 24/7 the cost typically varies between £3 and £7 - well below the level charged typically for delivered hot food from outside, leading to the conclusion that this is not an issue driven by affordability.
The IHSCM concludes that whilst the NHS and social care continue to experience severe workforce recruitment and retention issues, it is strange that the issue of hot food availability for staff who may be working long shifts is not taken more seriously.
