PATIENTS are to be given protected time to eat their meals at Leighton Hospital.
The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has introduced a golden hour mealtimes policy across seven of its wards.
Deputy nursing director Jayne Hartley said: “We want to ensure that our patients’ mealtime is protected, making their nutritional intake the top priority for at least one hour per day.
“Research has shown that when food is served in the right kind of atmosphere, patient satisfaction increases, more food is eaten and patients benefit.
“We’re limiting the number of people who come onto wards for one hour per day, at specific times on certain wards. Medication, doctors’ rounds and physiotherapy will all be done outside of the hour set aside for mealtimes.
“We want patients to be able to enjoy their mealtimes without unnecessary interruption.
“Patients on wards 1, 4, 19, 23 and the three orthopaedic wards will be encouraged to use the day room facilities for dining, rather than eating in bed or at the bedside.
“We want to make dining a more sociable experience, where patients can interact with one another, and to encourage patients, where appropriate, to get out of bed.”
The Trust’s protected mealtimes will gradually be extended across the organisation, including the Victoria Infirmary. People visiting patients on these wards are asked to observe protected mealtimes and leave the wards unless they are helping a patient to eat.
Two thousand meals are produced daily at Leighton – and patients benefit from the services of trained “voluntary mealtime assistants” who help ensure they’re able to enjoy their food.
Volunteers boss Linda Edwards is hoping more volunteers will step forward to help – by ringing her on 01270 612311.
