St Barnabas Hospice has been awarded two 5* food hygiene ratings at their Lincoln sites.
Kitchens at the St Barnabas Hospice Inpatient Unit and Day Therapy Centre in Lincoln have both received a 5* food hygiene rating following a recent inspection.
Staff at the Hospice are delighted to be awarded this accolade, which really showcases the excellent level of service they provide to patients, visiting families, staff and volunteers.
Sisters, Bridget and Mary Walker, work at the Inpatient Unit kitchen, cooking meals for patients in the last few days and weeks of their lives. Bridget said:
“I started working at the Hospice about ten years ago and Mary has been working here since November. It’s a great place to work – there’s lots of passion here and the people are lovely. The Hospice used to come out and give end-of-life care to our Mum whilst I was working here in the kitchens.”
Mary added:
“Being in this situation means we can really associate with other patients a lot more. We feel what other families are feeling and know just how much it means when we go above and beyond in our roles.”
Tricia Turner is a Cook who covers both the Inpatient Unit and Day Therapy Centre. She said:
“I’ve been working here for three years and love the environment. At the Inpatient Unit it’s special because often you’re cooking somebody’s final meals. The best meal I’ve cooked for a patient was monkfish and smoked kippers, which he absolutely loved. We cook a huge variety of meals and if a patient wants something we don’t have in, we go to a local supplier and make sure we have it for them the next day.”
Sharron Pearce, Cook at the Day Therapy Centre, added:
“We’re all so proud of these two 5* ratings. It showcases how well we all work together and is a marker of the amount of hard work and dedication that goes on behind the scenes. Our busiest day for patient food at the Day Therapy Centre is a Tuesday, which I like to call ‘The Tuesday Club.’ Last year, we had 24 patients in on one day for a group Christmas dinner, which was fantastic to cook.”
These two 5* food hygiene ratings follow quickly after CQC awarded the Hospice with an ‘Outstanding’ rating for the level of care they provide.
Chris Wheway, Chief Executive at St Barnabas Hospice, said:
“To receive one 5* food hygiene rating is great, but to receive two is absolutely fantastic! The hospice approach to care is a holistic approach, meaning every single one of our staff members and volunteers play their part in the care of a patient. Our kitchen teams are an incredibly important part of delivering this excellent, personalised care. They go above and beyond every single day to create meals that will satisfy our patients’ changing appetites and tastes whilst they are ill.”
St Barnabas Hospice provides free care to adults across Lincolnshire living with a life-limiting or terminal illness, as well as supporting their families and carers. Patients can be cared for at home or in a specialist Inpatient Unit (Lincoln or Grantham). The Hospice also has Day Therapy Centres across the county where patients and families can attend for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, complementary therapies, welfare advice and bereavement support. To find out more about the services the Hospice provides, visit www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk