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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-08 Daily Xml
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Hospital Services

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (14:48): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about food being served to patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: A current patient at the Royal Adelaide Hospital has told a journalist from The Advertiser she has resorted to asking visitors to bring food for her after claiming she was served dried-out chicken and mouldy vegetables. The patient said:

On the menu it sounds fine. One dish was called 'chicken with Hokkien noodles and vegetables' that made it sound like a stir-fry. It was dry boiled chicken bits and boiled vegetables with no sauce.

The end came when they served me a lump of cauliflower with mould growing on it.

In response to the claims, SA Health revealed the Royal Adelaide Hospital is subject to regular food safety audits to ensure meals are in line with national standards, the most recent audit completed in March 2021 and accreditation granted for 12 months. My question to the minister is:

1. Is he aware of the patient's complaint, and is SA Health acting on it?

2. How many complaints did the Royal Adelaide Hospital and other hospitals receive over the past 12 months about the quality of meals it serves its patients?

3. Who has the current contract for the delivery of food services at the Royal Adelaide Hospital?

4. Will he release the results of the 2021 audit?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for his question. Certainly, the Royal Adelaide Hospital recognises the important role nutrition plays in a person's health and wellbeing, and we take very seriously the need to maintain the quality and safety of the food, significantly so that patients will, at a time when often their appetite is not as strong as it normally is—it is important that they receive nourishment.

In terms of the detailed questions, I will need to seek further advice from the Central Adelaide Local Health Network. It is my understanding that the food is provided by Spotless. I would also like to make the point that my understanding is that there is active monitoring of feedback from patients between the audits. So we do not rely on accreditation to highlight issues that might be present in our services. I will certainly take the honourable member's questions on notice—the ones that I haven't responded to.

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