Top notch hospital grub

HOSPITAL food at the Pennine Acute Trust, which includes the Royal Oldham Hospital, has been rated “excellent” by patients and a national health watchdog.

Each hospital site within the trust, in Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester, was awarded top marks for food.

All four hospitals were also awarded “good” for the key areas of privacy and dignity, and hospital environment, which covers cleanliness and quality of accommodation.

The annual inspection was carried out in January and February by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA).

The agency requires trusts across the country to have an annual Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT) inspection every year. Undercover teams reviewed cleanliness, hand hygiene, quality of accommodation and food from the perspective of the patient.

Privacy and dignity was also assessed, along with aspects of infection control specifically around hand wash basin availability and the availability of alcohol gel.

Pam Miller, associate director of facilities for Pennine Acute Trust, said: “This is really good news and is an improvement on our inspection from last year and is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of our staff.

“All our staff, from cleaners and chefs to nurses, work hard to ensure that our patients’ stay is as comfortable as it can be and their experience is a good one.”