Page Contents
- Overview
- Nutritional symbols
- Diabetic diet
- Food brought in by relatives
- Protected mealtimes
- Patient menus
- Feedback
Overview
Providing a patient-centred catering service with an a la carte menu focused on choice, quality, and taste
Healthy, nutritious, and tasty food is a critical part of a patient’s hospital experience and vital to their wellbeing, which is why we offer Steamplicity by Medirest as our innovative patient catering solution. It allows us to provide bespoke menus that meet the needs of the differing patient groups across DGT. Overall, our patient service exceeds the majority of the recommendations of the Independent Hospital Food Review, and we are actively working towards full compliance.
Meals are individually plated so that we can control portions, accurately analyse the nutritional value of every meal and ensure that they are always served hot. We also offer an extended menu providing patients who require a longer hospital stay (more than 28 days) with variety and interest.
Our Medirest Dietetic Team have developed Steamplicity menus that focus on the different needs of DGT patients, including modified textured meals for patients with dysphagia who have difficulty swallowing. We also cater for diverse cultural and religious needs, as well as providing tasty and satisfying vegetarian and vegan options. Large-format and pictorial menus are available to make it easy for patients to choose their meals.
The hostess visits each patient to take their lunch and dinner orders. Additionally, we also have an ‘out of hours’ meal service, should patients miss a meal or arrive outside of core mealtimes. They can choose from six options and have a hot meal within twenty minutes, delivered to their bedside. Sandwiches are also part of this offer.
If you have a special dietary requirements, and you would like to speak to a Dietitian before coming into hospital please contact the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics on 01322 428439.
Nutritional symbols
If you have a special dietary requirement which the dietitian has told you about, look for the relevant symbol on the menu next to each dish.
Healthier Choice. These items have less fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt, making them particularly suitable for people with diabetes.
Higher Energy and Protein. These items are higher in calories and protein making them particularly suitable for people who need extra nutritional support.
Easy to chew. These items are suitable for people requiring IDDSU level 7 easy to chew. These are not designed for people with a swallowing difficulty or those who need supervision whilst eating who will be given a seperate menu. Local discretion is advised for specific patients.
Vegetarian. Meal suitable for vegetarians.
Gluten Free. Gluten free meals and desserts and naturally gluten free foods are coded GF.
Diabetic diet
The dietary advice for diabetes is based around healthy eating guidelines. The menu is coded with a ♥ symbol to highlight choices which contain moderate amounts of fat, sugar and salt when a standard portion is served.
Information on grams of carbohydrate in our meals is available per meal or per 100g (on request) please visit the Nutritional Analysis page. Snacks are available on the ward should you require them.
If you have Gestational Diabetes and find that the menus on the maternity wards do not meet your needs, please inform your nursing team who can arrange for a member of the catering department to visit you to discuss suitable options.
Food brought in by relatives
The menus provided by Darent Valley are designed to provide nutritious and safe food for a wide range of diets. For this reason, we would always encourage patients and staff to discuss how the Catering Department can provide appropriate meals for patients. However, where relatives insist on bringing in food for patients, a specific process must be observed. Please speak to your nursing team or ward manager for information.
Protected meal times
This initiative on all wards has been developed to provide patients with a quiet time to eat their meals without interruptions unless essential.
The presentation, colour, aroma, taste and texture of food in hospitals are all important to ensure that meals are tempting even to those with the poorest appetites. The only true measure of success is how much food is eaten. We support a protected mealtime service to help create a environment conducive to eating.
What is a protected mealtime service?
This is a period over lunch (1pm - 2pm) and dinner (5pm - 6pm), when all activities, on the wards will stop unless clinically urgent. The nurses, catering staff and volunteers will be available to help serve the food and give assistance to patients who may need help. This will prevent unnecessary interruptions to mealtimes.
Why is it a good idea?
Patients themselves say they would prefer to eat their meals with less distraction on the ward. It has been found that patients eat better and recover more quickly in hospitals where mealtimes are protected. It creates a more relaxed and calmer atmosphere giving patients time to socialize and digest their food. However, all emergency treatments will still be provided.
What can relatives or visitors do to help?
If you are visiting a ward displaying the Protected Mealtime poster, please respect this and try to visit outside the registered times.
If you normally visit at mealtimes in order to help your relative or friend to eat or just to give encouragement, we are happy for you to continue to do this. Please ask the nurse in charge how you can help.
If possible, please try to avoid contacting the ward for information during these times, so the staff can concentrate on helping the patients.
If you have any worries or concerns about this, please speak to the nurse in charge.
Feedback
Your feedback matters to us and will help us to make improvements. Share your Darent Valley Hospital mealtime experience feedback here.
Share your feedback on Medirest services here.