Catering for Patients in Scottish Hospitals

Information Released in Response to an FOI Request

Title Catering for Patients in Scottish Hospitals
Description Information about spending on catering for patients in Scottish hospitals
Publication Date May 31, 2005
Charge Free.

Information about spending on catering for patients is published routinely on the Scottish Health Statistics web site at: www.isdscotland.org

Specific information can be found within the "Information and Statistics'" tab - under "costs" - Section 9 Function Costs - Section 9B Report 70 (Catering, Domestic & Portering) starting at Page 11.

A direct link is: http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/Costs_Section9_2004.pdf

The information is available by hospital, and breaks the cost down to "Cost Per Consumer Week".

Data for other years are available on the "Costs" page under the side bar heading "Information" and then selecting "Data Files". The data are presented as spreadsheets.

The definition used to describe the catering costs is:

Catering

  • Include the cost of the production of meals, (including provisions) and the cost of serving and plating meals (e.g. serveries, dining rooms and ward waitress service).
  • Note that the cost of transporting food between kitchens and wards is chargeable to Portering.
  • Pay costs should be charged directly to patient catering and/or staff catering but where apportionment is necessary, costs should be allocated pro-rata to provisions costs charged.
  • Pay to include: Kitchen and Dining Room Staff, Administrative and Clerical Support Staff and Storekeepers and Porters (engaged principally on Kitchen duties)
  • Supplies to include Provisions and Catering supplies.
  • Where catering costs included within PFI/PPP arrangements can be identified, they should be reported here.
  • Where direct analysis of supplies costs is not undertaken, the allocation between patients and staff should be based on local catering records.
  • All income received in respect of catering should be netted off, this will include income from staff meals.

Page updated: Thursday, March 22, 2012