Enhanced Catering Services for Better Patient Care

Related markets and services

Health

Our client, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT), provides inpatient, community, and specialist mental health care to over 80,000 people across Birmingham, Solihull, and the West Midlands.

At a glance

We hold a 30-year PFI contract with BSMHFT to provide hard and soft facilities management across 22 of wards in a 9sqm radius.
Our catering services are delivered across 10 wards, with Amey providing the patient meals and management of food services.
The team of 51 are responsible for the curation, delivery and clean-up of meals.
The catering services team also ensure the standards of kitchens and equipment.
The introduction of Synbiotix allows us to deliver meals ordered 24 hours in advance, while also adhering to NHS Food Standards and giving a patient-first approach to dining experiences.

Key metrics

22

sites across a 9sqm radius
51

domestics employed across the contract
10

wards require catering service

Through our FM contract with the Trust, we deliver reactive and planned maintenance, catering, and transportation services across 22 sites, ensuring access to critical care such as rehabilitation, addiction support, and secure services.

As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing service delivery, we have implemented an innovative catering solution, ensuring service users receive tailored, nutritional meals to meet their specific needs.

Synbiotix streamlines menu choices, increases efficiency, and provides an enhanced customer service experience, allowing patients to make food choices 24 hours in advance.

Working collaboratively with the Trust and supply chain, the team has successfully introduced the system across 10 wards, supporting compliance with NHS Food Standards.

Already a trusted tool across other NHS Trusts, BSMHFT identified Synbiotix as the ideal solution.

Systematic solution to catering services

Offering services spanning inpatient, community, and specialist mental healthcare, BSMHFT is one of the most complex mental health foundation trusts in the country. Their priority is to provide a secure, well-maintained, compliant, and cost-effective estate to their local population.

Through our facilities management (FM) contract, Amey delivers both hard and soft FM services, including catering across 10 wards. Our staff oversee the procurement, preparation, and distribution of patient meals, ensuring compliance with NHS Food Standards, which cover meal quality, nutritional value, and sustainability.

To enhance compliance and improve patient experience, Synbiotix has been introduced across the Trust over five months. This intuitive, digital system streamlines patient menu choices, allowing efficient meal planning. Already a trusted tool across other NHS Trusts, BSMHFT identified Synbiotix as the ideal solution. With Amey contributing 50% of the costs, this system represents a collaborative investment in patient-centred care and operational efficiency.

A real-time view of orders to ensure a systematic approach to meal ordering and delivery.

Enhancing Service User Experience

The system provides clinical staff with an accurate list of occupied beds and required meals, while giving Amey's team a real-time view of orders to ensure a systematic approach to meal ordering and delivery.

Understanding the differing nutritional needs of service users in acute mental health settings and specialist units is key to developing the overall service. As outlined in the NHS Food Standards, all organisations should enable a digital ordering system that uses patient names and aligns with their dietary information and care plans. It should also consider their religious and cultural backgrounds, preferences, and provide nutritional safety.

Patients can browse the menu, view images of the dishes, and access detailed information about ingredients, allergens, and nutritional content, including calorie counts. This patient-centric approach ensures that individuals can make well-informed choices about their meals. The intuitive design, featuring pictures and clear icons, helps to overcome language barriers and takes into account medical and psychological considerations. For instance, special attention is given to issues such as chewing and swallowing difficulties or emotional triggers associated with certain foods.

Another essential component of the guidelines is ensuring nutritional safety and balanced diets, aligned with the 10 key characteristics of good nutrition and hydration. To meet these standards, on-site dietitians collaborate with the Amey catering team and Trust staff to put together well-balanced menu options that consider all factors impacting patient health.

From a delivery perspective, the Amey team closely track and monitor all ward orders. Meals for the following day are prepared and delivered to the wards. Once delivered, thorough checks and heating procedures are conducted, verifying the correct temperature before serving the meals to the individuals. After meal service, Amey handles the cleanup and logs waste data into the NHS Estates Return Information Collection (ERIC) system, ensuring efficient waste management and compliance with relevant standards.

The success of this initiative highlights the importance of collaboration between Amey and the Trust.

Working together for improved service delivery

The introduction of the Synbiotix system across NHS Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust has significantly improved the catering services provided to patients. The adoption of this digital solution is not only enhancing the overall patient experience but also contributing to nutritional safety, streamlined operations, and a renewed focus on patient-centred care.

The success of this initiative highlights the importance of collaboration between Amey and the Trust. By sharing costs and expertise, Amey and the Trust have developed a system that benefits both patients and staff, maintaining high standards of service and efficiency.

The Synbiotix system at NHS Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust represents a significant advancement in the Trust's catering services. This project sets a benchmark for future innovations in healthcare facilities management. The commitment to excellence, patient satisfaction, and operational efficiency demonstrated by this project is an example of how strategic collaborations can drive meaningful progress in the healthcare sector.

Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust Enhanced Catering Services for Better Patient Care