Nurses could be asked to serve food at Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford
Comments |
Nurses could be asked to serve chips with check-ups
in plans being considered by health bosses.
The proposed catering reshuffle at Darent Valley Hospital could
see clinical staff taking patients’ breakfast, lunch and dinner
with them on their rounds.
Discussions are said to be at a very early stage, but if the
move goes ahead, it would see nurses replace this role of catering
staff employed at the hospital by a private contractor,
Carillion.
A source said this would be a “backward step” and could
affect more than 50 jobs, something the hospital could not and
Carillion would not confirm.
Simon Bolton, regional organiser for Unison, speaks for the 240
cleaning, catering and porter staff employed by Carillion at the
Darenth Wood Road hospital.
He said: “The delivery of food to wards is down to the catering
department. Nurses have enough to do without dishing up meals.
“It would be a nonsense. It doesn’t need a nurse to do it - it’s
a waste of their time.
"There’s no point putting someone through a very expensive
three-year degree course to have them come out serving egg and
chips.”
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, which manages the hospital,
said the idea was prompted by a desire to offer patients greater
choice about when they have their meals and give them more direct
contact with nursing staff.
It said this aim was also reflected in the results of a recent
patient satisfaction survey, which suggested nurses should be more
involved in feeding those they are treating.
Director of nursing, Jenny Kay, said: “We always take patients'
comments seriously.
"Serving meals gives nurses the one-to-one opportunity to talk
about how each patient is feeling and hear any comments about the
hospital food.”
Carillion, which was awarded the catering contract at the
hospital under a Private Finance Initiative, refused to
comment.
Wednesday, August 25 2010
The KM Group does not moderate comments.
Please click here for our house rules.