Compass responds to feedback from Dunedin community

Compass responds to feedback from Dunedin community

Compass Group New Zealand (Compass) is committed to delivering a nutritious and quality hospital food service to the people of Dunedin, and is establishing two new positions to ensure staff and patients can provide immediate feedback at each meal.

Major changes to any food service are always carefully monitored and acted on where possible. The new food service at Dunedin Hospital has attracted an unprecedented level of interest, and this has included some negative comments and complaints.

Compass has been supplying quality patient meals to District Health Boards (DHBs) around New Zealand for 29 years and regular patient satisfaction surveys indicate that the majority of patients are satisfied with their food.

A survey at Dunedin Hospital showed that three-quarters of patients were satisfied with items served from the new menu. A quarter suggested improvements to some aspects of their meals. These related to a range of factors including taste and quality of food or range of foods provided, some of which are due to dietary restrictions or changes to menu orders beyond the control of the food service. For some menu items both positive and negative feedback was received, reflecting the individual taste preferences.

The two new positions, called patient experience coordinators, will improve our responsiveness to patient feedback, liaising with ward staff and patients during meal times to immediately address any concerns regarding a particular meal or menu item. We are also asking patients to email us directly at any time. This will not only allow us to reply to individual questions but identify any consistent concerns or questions.

All meals provided at Southern DHB meet the agreed national nutritional standards that were developed with the assistance of a wide range of DHB food service managers and dietitians, including clinical and paediatric dietitians.

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