€6,950 daily food spend for Mater Dei patients

An overall improvement in the quality, taste and temperature of hospital food has been reported by patients, a survey commissioned by Mater Dei Hospital’s food service provider has found.

The survey, carried out by Misco International Ltd among 100 patients from different wards, was requested by health junior minister Chris Fearne and commissioned by James Caterers Ltd.

With an 825 bed capacity, Mater Dei spends a daily €6,950 in lunch and dinner for patients, totalling some €2,536,750 by the end of the year. The 15-year contract with Malta HealthCare Caterers Ltd – a James Caterers subsidiary – was signed in 2007 and expires in 2022.

The quarterly surveys were requested last year following numerous complaints about food quality, especially in relation to taste and temperature. Although the surveys are being commissioned by the service provider, Fearne believes that it brings added controls for the provider to keep services at the highest levels. 

“The fact that Misco is carrying out the surveys gives added impetus to the results,” he said, referring to the survey company’s reputable work.

Parallel to the survey, the health parliamentary secretariat employs “an auditor” to keep track of the daily complaints that come in about the food provided to the patients. 

Corresponding with the Misco survey, whose results were seen by MaltaToday, most of the complaints received directly by the government revolved around the presentation, taste and temperature of food and limited choice of food. Also, patients have complained of the taste due to the food being steamed, and lacking salt and spices.

The April survey shows a drastic improvement in patients’ reception of the food when compared to the January results. When analysing the survey, one must keep in mind the high turnover of patients and the individual’s personal tastes. Fieldwork was carried out over seven days by interviewers trained to carry out market research interviews.

According to the survey, 61% of the respondents said they were completely satisfied with the food, a drastic increase when compared to the 23% registered in January. Likewise, the number of ‘fairly satisfied’ went down from 46% to 17%.

Dinner quality was rated at 59%, up from 18% in January, while an equal 17% ‘less satisfied’ rating was registered in both months.

An improvement in the quality led to an improved rating of food taste where the fairly satisfied rating of around 47.5% for both lunch and dinner switched to 51.5% in the ‘completely satisfied’ tag.

The trend was registered in every category surveyed: be it temperature, presentation and appeal, menu choice, design of menus, assistance to fill in the menus and correct order. The change between January and April was drastic with a majority of respondents – albeit different ones – moving from fairly satisfied to completely satisfied.

It is understood that further training of newly-employed workers by the company, removing old trays, offering peeled and cut fruit and ensuring that the food was kept heated played a major role in the improvements registered.

Malta HealthCare Caterers Ltd is obliged to provide lunch and dinner every day, based on a 14-day menu which must be varied and healthy. The service provider must also provide food catering for people with particular needs, such as diabetic food and low fat and gluten free, food for patients on chemotherapy and soft and liquidized food. 

A separate food menu is provided for children.