Getting Here
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Getting Here
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Getting Here
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Getting Here
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At NHSGGC we’re committed to providing high quality food and drink as part of your hospital visit. We constantly work to improve the range and quality of the food and drink that you will be provided with.
Hospital mealtimes
Mealtimes are an important part of the daily routine and this means, as far as possible, non-essential activity is stopped during this time.
At home, people often eat in the presence of a family member and that should be no different in hospital. Your visitor is welcome to stay with you at mealtimes.
Person-centred visiting is in place across NHSGGC. Supporting people in hospital to involve their family or carers, as much as they would like, is an important principle of person-centred visiting. This recognises the beneficial effect of a family member or carer participating in some elements of personal care and support, such as mealtimes. Eating is a social occasion, and family, friends and carers can play an important part in encouraging patients to eat a little more.
This is of particular importance to patients receiving care from people with whom they are less familiar and would cause distress; are frail, have a cognitive impairment such as dementia or a learning disability.
The clinical team should work with the family and carers to enable this to occur. In these instances, the family or carer providing support should not be treated as a visitor to the ward. They should be provided with the appropriate education to undertake these activities where necessary.
Visiting during mealtimes to offer support and company should be encouraged.
Breakfast
Breakfast times are approximately: 7.30am – 8.30am
You will be offered a continental breakfast with tea or coffee, cereal, bread, toast (where available) and rolls.
Lunch
Lunch times are approximately: 12.00pm – 1.00pm.
Your lunch consists of three courses:
- To start: homemade soup or fruit juice
- To follow: A choice of sandwiches, salad or filled baked potatoes or a hot meal with vegetables and potatoes.
- For dessert: trifle, fresh fruit, yogurt, rice pudding, jelly and ice cream or cheese and biscuits.
Evening meal
Dinner is served from 5.00pm – 6.00pm approximately.
You will be offered a choice of hot meals with vegetables and potatoes or rice plus either a hot or cold dessert.
At each mealtime there will always be a meal option for vegetarians, a healthier option and choice for those who need more calories.
Snacks
As well as your meals we have a range of drinks and snacks available at all times. This includes tea, coffee, hot chocolate, squash, bread, cereal and biscuits.
Menus
We have a cafe style menu showing your choices for the full week. Menus are available either at your bedside or in dining rooms in some of our wards.
A range of alternative menus are also available, on request, for the following diets:
- Gluten free
- Food allergies
- Low Fibre/Low residue
- Low potassium/No added salt
- Vegan
- Kosher
- Halal.
It is important that you try to eat and drink as normal if you can while you are in hospital. If you have special dietary requirements we are unaware of please speak to a member of ward staff.
Further information
” I just take small meals but quite nice – something different every day, quite happy.”
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Food and fluid mythbusters are part of the Food First campaign
The campaign focuses on the importance of food and drink in improving a patient’s recovery and how it can potentially lead to quicker discharge from hospital.
The information is aimed at staff, patients, visitors and family and highlights the role we can all play in patient recovery.
Hydration myths
- Mythbuster card: Drinking fluid is NOT as important as eating food
Patient food myths
- Mythbuster card: Only nursing staff can offer patients food and drink
- Mythbuster card: Family members should be excluded during mealtimes
- Mythbuster card: Snacks are not available between meals unless you are at risk of malnutrition
- Mythbuster card: Food shouldn’t be brought into hospital
- Mythbuster card: High calorie choices shouldn’t be on our hospital menus as they’re not healthy
- Mythbuster card: It’s ok if overweight people don’t eat in hospital
- Mythbuster card: Food isn’t as good as a supplement drink
- Mythbuster card: People with diabetes can’t eat sugar or sugary foods
- Mythbuster card: Hospitals can’t provide suitable food if you require a special diet
Food quality & waste myths
- Mythbuster card: The meals for our patients are ready meals that come from Wales
- Mythbuster card: Hospital food is poor quality
- Mythbuster card: Ordering meals for empty beds doesn’t cost anything
Additional resources
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Our public partners
We work with a group of public partners to help guide improvements in our catering service. Our partners have all used our services either themselves or have had experience of our service through a friend or relative. Our 8 current partners have all visited the cook freeze production unit at Inverclyde Royal Hospital and now carry out regular audits of the meal service on our wards.
Each ward audit is unannounced with the public partner visiting a ward of their choice with the catering manager. Our partners use an observation tool to note down points about the meal service including food quality. They are able to recommend improvements if they see something which is not done to their standard. In addition, they ask patient opinions at every visit.
We have an annual timetable with our larger acute sites being audited by our public partners twice per year and our smaller sites at least once per year.
Here are some of the comments from our public partner audits:
- “Bread and butter given with soup”
- “Very impressed by service”
- “Tried cottage pie and vegetables – was very nice”
- “Quality of the food for service indicated it had all been regenerated on the appropriate oven shelf”.
- “If I had not chosen the ward to visit I would have thought it had been stage managed as everything was so professionally done”
- “This was normal service – very good”
After each audit there is a feedback session with the catering staff and the nurse in charge of the ward.
Patient feedback
You said/we did
Would like more fruit to be available
What we did: We have tried a lot of different ways of increasing fruit provision including fruit bowls in some wards.
Chips too hard
What we did: We checked the regeneration oven on the ward and cooking instructions have been reviewed
Allergy meal served in packaging and small portion
What we did: We have debated several times whether to do this or not but decided it is safer to serve in packaging.
Chips could have been warmer and a smaller portion size better
What we did: Ward service issues have been addressed with ward staff giving out the information leaflet regarding services available e.g. patients can ask for small or larger portions
Some of the comments we’ve received from patients and visitors
We want you to enjoy the food we provide and we’d welcome your feedback at any time during or after your stay.
” I just take small meals but quite nice – something different every day, quite happy.”
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In most of our wards we ask you to order your meal in advance. Staff will ask you to pick a meal choice from the menu you’ll find at, or near, your bedside. You can also view the menus here:
The ward staff will let you know how to order your meals on your ward. All wards have the same food available.
Other information
Our patient menus
- Gluten free
- Food allergies
- Low Fibre/Low residue
- Low potassium/No added salt
- Vegan
- Kosher
- Halal.
We cater for patients with food allergies and can provide alternatives to bread and milk and snacks such as gluten free bread, soya milk and yogurts.
We also have a range of International Dysphagia Diet Initiative (IDDSI) compliant texture modified diets for patients with chewing or swallowing problems.
Please make sure you tell your nurse if you need a special/alternative diet.
Meal options
On our main menu some of the meal options contain more energy (calories) and these choices are better if you have a small appetites or you need to gain weight. These choices are indicated by this symbol:
The “heart” symbol indicates healthier choices. These dishes have controlled amounts of fat and sugar and are suitable if you wish to eat healthily, have diabetes, are following a lower fat diet or are trying to lose weight:
We comply with Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 where we can provide you with information about the allergen content of our meals. If you need to know the allergen content of our meals please ask a member of the ward staff.
Drinks and fluid
It is important that you drink enough whilst you are in hospital. Fluids play an important role in keeping you well and helping you recover. Try and drink plenty. We recommend about 8-10 cups a day. Nursing staff will encourage you to drink throughout the day.
A jug of fresh water will be provided at your bedside. The jugs are cleaned and refreshed twice a day. If you run out of fresh water at any time please ask for it to be topped up.
Hot drinks including tea, coffee, hot chocolate and malted milk are available throughout the day as part of the beverage service. We also offer a choice of drinks, including milk, with all your meals.
Some patients will be on fluid restriction and require fluid intake to be managed as part of their clinical care. Nursing staff will advise you if this is the case.
When food becomes difficult
Menu options
Sometimes when you are in hospital, you might be off your food and find it difficult to eat and drink. If you are struggling to eat please talk to your nurse. We will help by ordering you a smaller portion of your meal or by helping you to select one of our lighter options such as omelettes, soups, salads and sandwiches.
On our menu some of the meal options are high in calories and these choices can be useful to choose if your appetite is poor. These choices are indicated by a star symbol:
Our ward staff can help you choose.
Snacks
There are snacks available on the ward too so please ask a member of ward staff if you would like something in between our meal service.
Nutritional screening
During your stay in hospital, nursing staff will carry out ‘nutritional screening’. This assessment will include finding out what you like to eat and drink, any dietary requirements as well as measuring your height and weight. This assessment sometimes referred to as malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) allows nursing staff to assess if you at risk of undernutrition.
Difficulty swallowing
Some patients may have swallowing problems associated with certain illnesses or types of surgery. These can be temporary or longer term. If you have any difficulties the Speech and Language Therapist can assess you and recommend the most suitable types of food stuffs to help with your problem. These are called texture modified diets and special menus are available.
For patients who are receiving palliative care or end of life care, staff will regularly review their eating and drinking needs (this is sometimes called nutrition and hydration). Staff will explain and discuss the benefits and side effects of eating and drinking, with the patient, their relatives, carer or friend.
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For general enquiries please contact:
- Kate McVey, Head of Linen & Catering Services
- Email: Kate.Mcvey@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
- Call: 0141 211 8790
Site specific contact details
Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre
Tom Johnston Catering Manager: 0141 211 3124
Blythswood House
Call: 0141 314 4254
Dykebar Hospital
Call: 0141 314 4266
Gartnavel General Hospital
Tom Johnston Catering Manager: 0141 211 3124
Glasgow Royal Infirmary
- Michael Lewsley Catering Manager: 0141 211 4545 (24545)
- Margaret Smith Depute Manager: 0141 211 4189 (24189)
Inverclyde Royal Hospital
Catering Supervisors: 01475 50 4192
Langhill Unit
Call: 01475 50 4192
Larkfield Unit
Call: 01475 50 4192
Leverndale Hospital
- Manager: 0141 211 6409
- Clerical: 0141 211 1391
- Dining Room: 0141 211 6410
Orchard View
Call: 01475 50 4192
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
- Patient catering Professional lead: 07534 228 570
- Facilities helpdesk: 0141 354 9650
Royal Alexandra Hospital
- Catering Manager, Douglas Mullen: 0141 314 6108
- Supervisors office: 0141 314 6918
Stobhill Ambulatory Care Hospital
Call: 0141 355 1690 or 0141 355 1691
Stobhill Maternity Hospital
Call: 0141 531 3220 or 0141 531 3221
Vale of Leven Hospital
Call: 01389 817 229
Victoria Ambulatory Care Hospital
Call: 0141 347 8712 or 0141 347 8711
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We understand that many patients will want food and drinks in addition to the meals provided. It is important that visitors check with the Nursing staff if they can bring food into hospital for you.
Suitable food items
- Pre-wrapped cakes, biscuits and teabread
- Fresh (pre-washed) fruit or dried fruit
- Pre-wrapped chocolates or sweets
- Sealed packets of crisps and other similar savoury snacks
- Drinks in a plastic container (no alcohol).
Unsuitable food items (High risk)
- Glass bottles or canned products or any food in tinfoil or tinned containers
- Takeaways e.g. hamburgers, pakora, pizzas or curries
- Fresh items such as sandwiches.
If food is brought in, it is important that it is both suitable and safe. For food hygiene reasons we ask that your visitors follow the guidance below:
- All food must be sealed labelled with your name and the date the food was brought in
- Once opened and not used it must be thrown away
- Do not bring home cooked food – Ward staff cannot reheat any food
- Do not bring food that requires to go in a fridge or freezer
- Visitors should only bring food in for you and not for others
- Only a small amount of suitable food should be brought in.
Note: Some wards may have other items that are unsuitable due to the patient’s medical condition, e.g. swallowing difficulties. Therefore please check with staff about what is allowed.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde does not accept any responsibility for any food that is prepared and purchased outside our facilities.
Further information is available in our Food and Health in Hospitals booklet.
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