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Accept our ‘Poster’ Challenge
At the HCA Conference in 2012, we are planning to have a poster display that illustrates some of the great work that you are doing.
This will allow us all to learn from each other’s experiences and take some of them back to our different workplaces to replicate.
So we are asking you to ‘accept the challenge’ to make a poster, supported by a document that outlines any supplementary information or examples of evidence, such as pictures, menus, procedures, lessons learned and feedback, and share them with us.
On your marks…
Decide which success story you want to highlight;
Get set…
Work with your team to agree on how this can best be reflected pictorially;
Go…
Download and fill in the Poster Entry Form and send it with your artwork and supporting documentation, electronically, to: Katie.Kearney@solent.nhs.uk, T: 023 8082 5125, by Wednesday, 29 February 2012.
Help and support…
Download information on how to submit your entry, plus guidance notes for making the poster.
Download example posters.
These poster examples, put together by Members of the Wessex Branch, are included for your inspiration, along with their ‘evidence’ – the additional information - ie – the background, methods/process, results/outcomes, discussions and conclusion needed for a submission. And we have prepared some guidelines for the document summary and poster, to help you.
The end result…
- The posters will be professionally edited and printed, so that your work looks its best.
- We would like some of you to present your project, and poster, at Conference 2012.
- We will then produce a booklet of posters and a document summary of what has been done, for all Delegates at the 2012 Conference.
The NHS Sustainability Day
The first NHS Sustainability day of action is to be held on the 28th March 2012. The day is being arranged by UCLH and the SDU. The event microsite can be found at www.nhssustainabilityday.co.uk and the site contains lots of ideas on how organisations can get involved and participate in this day of sustainable doing. HCA have been specifically asked to engage members and branches in initiatives relating to low carbon/locally sourced food and menu options and ideas related to supply chain and logistics. Many NHS organisations and Royal colleges and professional representative bodies have signed up to participate – with a great spread of clinical and non clinical engagement. Please participate in the day and log onto the website to get ideas and to see what your peers will be doing – have fun, raise awareness and save carbon.
David Pencheon says of the day of action: “This day, coordinated by Trevore Payne’s team at UCLH, is a great opportunity to demonstrate what you are doing and what you can be doing in your team and organisation for a more sustainable NHS. At the heart of this is better patient care: ensuring we deliver the best care we can today in ways that don’t prejudice our capacity to do it tomorrow. If we can share all our ideas, actions and aspirations right across the health service, we really would be a world beating health service that is fit for today and for the future. There are so many examples of good practice around the NHS, but they are still stars in a night sky. We really need everyone to use this day to share what they are doing and listen to what others are doing. Let’s make it a productive and inspiring day so we can help make this an annual event. This opportunity is happening on our watch and will be our legacy. Let’s use this day to improve care in ways we can all be proud of.”
Re-launch of HCA Training and Development Bursary
Download information and an application form for the re-launched HCA Training and Development Bursary.
Transfer of nutrition policy for England to the Department of Health and labelling policy to Defra.
In July, the Government announced proposals to transfer nutrition policy for England from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) into the Department of Health (DH) and labelling policy to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The transfer has taken place on 1 October 2010, and on that date the following nutrition policy functions transferred to DH:
- nutritional labelling and EU negotiations on this
- nutrition and health claims, dietetic food and food supplements
- calorie information in catering establishments
- reformulation to reduce salt, saturated fat and sugar levels in food and reducing portion size (including in catering)
- nutrition advice, surveys and nutrition research
- scientific advice and secretariat to Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).
Labelling policy (other than labelling related to nutrition or food safety) has transferred to Defra completely.
The Annapurna Exchange Program Hosted by Healthcare Caterers International
Dear Colleague, in the October addition of the Hospital Caterer I mentioned a stimulating agenda from the Healthcare Caterers International (HCI) who have launched an exchange programme called Annapurna. As well as being a Himalayan mountain, Annapurna is the Hindu Goddess of food and harvests in Nepal.
This has been put together by Bob Mulder from the VHVG and Hospitality Management, Franciscus Hospital, Roosendaal, Holland. This is a two-way exchange programme aimed at professions and professionals who are directly or indirectly involved in the management of foodservices in European health care services and hospitals.
The application form is very comprehensive and lists the countries that are taking part in the exchange from Australia and the United States to Norway and all countries will accept English as a language so there should be no barriers. Although the HCA is promoting this programme, it will be up to individuals to seek funding from their Trust/Hospital or Organisation employer to fund this programme. The "Declaration of the Candidates and Commitment" form lays out the criteria that are required from the candidate and from the employer.
The application form and Declaration of the Candidates & Commitment can be downloaded by clicking on the following links (Download Application Form / Download Declaration of Commitment). The completed forms should be sent to the National Vice Chairman and Chair of GP Committee: Miss Janice Gillan, Catering Manager, Cross House Hospital, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire KA2 0BE, Tel: 01563 577050, Fax: 01563 577055, E-mail: janice.gillan@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
Candidates are requested to complete the application and declaration form in full or they may find their application is rejected.
I wish everybody the best of luck in applying as this is an exciting development for hospital caterers, giving you the opportunity to learn from overseas colleagues and to share good practices.
Kevan Wallace, National Chairman
Vegetarian for Life… Trustees
Vegetarian for Life is an advocacy charity set up to raise awareness of the problems facing older vegetarians and vegans. We need new trustees to join our board.
Applicants should be vegetarian or vegan, and those with experience of nutrition and catering, especially hospital catering, would be particularly welcome.
Please contact Tina Fox: tina@vegetarianforlife.org.uk, Tel: 0151 608 1595.
Website: www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk
