Guidelines for hospitals

CLIC Sargent has published our guidelines for hospitals to help make sure that the food they serve to children and young people with cancer is tasty, appetising, age appropriate and available on demand.

The guidelines are available to download at the bottom of this page.

Our consultation work shows that the best food provision tends to be led by a nominated individual who co-ordinates patients’ food needs on a day-to-day basis.

This can be an on-ward chef, housekeeper or other ward-based helper. This person will continue to monitor feedback and make sure that improvements become part of everyday practice on the ward.

Through our work with young people, parents, hospital managers, nutritionists, doctors and nurses, we have established the following principles for providing hospital food for children with cancer:

• Flexibility: food provision should be as flexible as possible, allowing for a wide choice of food and drink.
• Availability: food of some kind should be available on demand 24 hours a day. Main meals should be available throughout the day to allow for appetite changes.
• Responsiveness: food provision should respond to the individual needs of the child or young person. Patients should be consulted on a daily basis about their needs and preferences, and all reasonable efforts made to accommodate them. Food should be adapted to the child’s current nutritional status.
• Appropriateness: all food provided should be appropriate to the child’s age, condition and nutritional status.
• Collaboration: all staff involved in the provision of food, including clinical staff, nurses, dietitians, catering staff, play specialists, porters and ward helpers, facilities staff and Trust managers should work collaboratively to provide the service.

You can download our guidelines below: