Listening to patients helps Leicestershire hospitals tackle wasted food

Finding out what patients leave on their plates is helping a Leicestershire NHS trust waste less food.

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust reports a 34% reduction in food waste across inpatient services following work led by Karen Pardoe. Some sites achieved reductions of up to 79%. The figures appeared in its account of this year's staff awards.

The trust's Green Plan explains the practical work behind its approach. Staff record serving and plate waste, with quarterly reporting. Patient food forums in mental-health units feed into menu development, while questionnaires and meal audits identify unpopular dishes. A dietitian checks nutritional content.

Both sources come from the trust. The award report gives neither the measurement period nor the total weight saved, so it cannot show the size of the benefit in tonnes or pounds.

Even so, there is a useful connection between reducing waste and listening to people. Patients' views are shaping the menu, and staff now have records that help them spot where food is being thrown away.

Sources

• Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust — newly reported food-waste reduction
• Trust Green Plan — waste measurement, menus and patient feedback