Medirest, the healthcare division of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has extended its partnership with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) to deliver services including cleaning, catering, vending, portering, security, helpdesk and reception services, across 26 sites which includes hospitals and clinics.
UCLH provides first-class acute and specialist services in six hospitals in central London. Their mission is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education and world-class research.
Medirest has been working with two hospitals managed by UCLH, the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery for 15 years, and the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals since October 2019. This new five-year partnership will be widening the scope of work to cover most of the Trust’s estate (except for the building which houses University College Hospital on Euston Road).
Patient catering will utilise Medirest’s innovative Steamplicity meals, a solution that uses a micro-steaming system to cook a range of raw and pre-cooked ingredients to be ready to eat within minutes.
This unique preparation system, means the food retains nutrients and freshness, but also offers the flexibility to be cooked when needed at ward level. Patients will be able to order breakfast, lunch and dinner, choosing from meals such as Beef Casserole and Dumplings, Chicken Tikka Masala and Vegetarian Bean Chilli.
The four retail outlets across the Trust will comprise of customised offers. A Coffee House will be opened within each, serving a selection of Costa Coffee beverages and retail ranges such as lunch meal deals.
Freshly cooked meals across breakfast and lunch, will continue within University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. The partnership will also see Medirest and UCLH host monthly tea parties for inpatients, to foster a sense of community and engagement.
To create consistent, high standards of cleaning, Medirest will be using it’s a+ cleaning system. This flexible module programme is tailored to meet UCLH’s individual requirements across their different locations. The comprehensive system can be scaled up depending on the specific needs, while constantly supporting infection control and decontamination.
Steve Cenci, Managing Director, Medirest, said, “We are delighted to be expanding our services at UCLH. We have established a strong partnership working closely with the hospital to understand their specific requirements and provide solutions.
'We are very proud of our people who work across these sites to provide services of the highest standards and we look forward to building on existing relationships and practices to introduce new innovations across the Trust.”
Linda Martin, Director of Estates and Facilities at UCLH, said, “We are always looking to improve the quality and efficiency of our services and we are very pleased to be working with Medirest to provide the best possible service for all our patients, visitors and staff. They offer a specialist knowledge that will help us achieve that through new ways of working, as well as investment in modern technology.”