Taste of things to come as new meals dished up

• Fresher, tastier food soon to be introduced at metropolitan public hospitals
• New, flexible menu to be evaluated regularly by staff and patients
• Local food industry identity Verity James appointed to kick-start the initiative

Hospital catering services will be more accountable and responsive to feedback on food choices and quality at five metropolitan health facilities, under a new regime that will see staff and patients able to score dishes and have a greater say.

Health Minister Kim Hames said that under the changes, food quality and taste would be evaluated regularly, unpopular meal options would be replaced, and there would be a more co-ordinated approach to hospital catering contracts.

"If you're unwell, you don't want a bland or unpalatable meal in front of you.  Hospital food has quite rightly in many cases earned its bad reputation but it doesn't have to be like that," Dr Hames said.

"After two years of careful evaluation and planning, we have looked at catering with a more system-wide view and the belief that food offerings in our State Government hospitals can and should be fresh, high-quality and full of flavour.

"Our public hospital catering services have a budget and different consumer tastes to navigate just like a restaurant, so a large range of menu options has been developed for each hospital to choose from, allowing them flexibility for the first time.

"If a dish is not receiving good reviews or people are not ordering it, that item will be removed from the menu and replaced with a different dish, just as you would expect at a restaurant."

The Minister said local identity and food spokesperson Verity James had been selected in a competitive process to oversee the establishment of the program at the hospitals involved, and to help communicate the changes.

"There's a lot of passion and hard work that goes into food service that consumers and patients don't see, so this program is about changing the way we think about food in our hospitals," he said.

"Verity will use her knowledge of food and her industry networks to keep the momentum going and recommend where improvements can be made.  She will taste test the dishes, liaise with catering staff, and advise on meal presentation and delivery."

Fact File

• Fremantle, Royal Perth, Sir Charles Gairdner, King Edward Memorial and Rockingham General hospitals are all part of the program to share pre-prepared food options
• 4 catering suppliers awarded 3-year contracts with 1-year extension options
• Verity James' contract runs for four months, with the possibility of extension
• All meals will meet the Nutrition standards for adult inpatients in WA Hospitals introduced in August 2012

Minister's office - 6552 5300