Top scores for hospital food at CCC

Posted 18th March 2024

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has been rated as the top cancer hospital in the country for its patient food, and one of the top five hospitals overall, in a recent assessment by peers, volunteers and Governors.

The mandatory assessments of hospitals and healthcare settings, known as PLACE, which stands for Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment, involve local people, Trust Governors and NHS workers from other hospitals, looking to ensure things like the patient environment supports the provision of care, privacy and dignity, food, cleanliness and general building maintenance.

Assessors gave our food at Clatterbridge Cancer – Liverpool an impressive 98%, attributing the high score to factors including how quickly food was served, the taste, temperature and variety on the menu, which caters not only for food allergies and cultural needs but the often complex dietary requirements our patients have.

This score was the highest of any specialist cancer trust and amongst the top five scores in the country.

Wendy Gerrard is Dietetic Team Leader at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and one of many people who helped achieve this high score. She said: “These high scores are a testament to the work of lots of people across the Trust. It was a collaborative team effort.

“For example, our Ward Staff are now instrumental in supporting our Ward Hostesses to making sure our patients get their meals quickly. Our Estates Team also made it possible for all of our food to be stored on site, instead of at another hospital, so our patients almost always get their first choice of meal.

“My team have worked closely with our new food suppliers, Apertitio, who have helped us be able to provide a variety of tasty, nutritious food to our patients, who quite often have complex needs when it comes to eating, needing softer or wetter food for example if they struggle with swallowing or a dry mouth.

“Food is vitally important for hospital patients, not just for their health and nutrition, but for their quality of life. That’s why our teams have worked hard to meet our patients’ needs, including providing meals out of hours if they’ve not felt like eating or been having treatment, smaller meals for those with a decreased appetite and things like jelly and ice cream, which our patients enjoy if they’re having trouble swallowing or just fancy something sweet.

“Everyone involved in this project has had our patients’ experience and overall wellbeing at the forefront of their minds and I’m delighted the PLACE assessors have recognised our hard work with this fantastic score.”