General Note

NHS Fife acknowledges and agrees with the importance of regular and timely review of policy statements and aims to review policies within the timescales set out. New policies will be subject to a review date of no more than 1 year from the date of first issue.

Reviewed policies will have a review date set that is relevant to the content (advised by the author) but will be no longer than 3 years.

If a policy is past its review date, then the content will remain extant until such time as the policy review is complete and the new version published, or if national policy or legislative changes are made.

1.  FUNCTION

The purpose of the policy is to ensure we safely deliver tasty and nutritious food and beverages of a high quality to all patients, staff and visitors within NHS Fife premises. To ensure that all processes and systems of work follow current food safety legislation, which includes but is not limited to, Food Safety Act (1980), Food Safety Regulations (1995), Food Temperature Regulations Act (1995) and Food Information Regulations (2014), Labelling of Prepacked foods (Natasha’s Law 2021).

2. LOCATION

This policy applies to all staff in all areas where food preparation and food service is provided for staff, patients and visitors in NHS Fife premises.

3.  RESPONSIBILITY

The Food Safety Policy sits under the Catering Department, within the Property and Asset Management Directorate, with specific responsibilities assigned to ensure comprehensive adherence to food safety standards.

Organisational

The Chief Executive, Directors and Executive Teams are responsible for:

• Ensuring operational procedures and risk management arrangements to meet this policy are in place.
• Providing resources for implementing and maintaining this policy.
• Reviewing performance of this policy.
• Reviewing the effectiveness of this policy.

The Director of Property & Asset Management via the Head of Facilities is responsible for:

• The provision of adequate facilities and support arrangements to implement and maintain the environmental, food production and delivery aspects of this policy.

Departmental

The Catering Lead is responsible for:

• Making sure that all staff are aware of this policy and other related policies and relevant procedures.

The area Catering Managers are responsible for:

• Putting into practice the local food safety system known as (HACCP). HACCP is the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points within catering procedures and safe systems of work, designed to reduce risks associated with food production and service.
• Ensuring that all catering department staff engaged in food production and service have the appropriate information, training, instruction, supervision and support. This includes refreshing staff knowledge and skills at regular frequencies.
• Monitoring the effectiveness of local procedures and safe systems of work, with annual review of occurrence, recording investigation, re-evaluations and management inspections.
• Ensuring that local procedural guidelines are developed and maintained, in keeping with this policy
• Ensuring staff receive suitable and effective support following any incidents involving food services and to provide adequate specific training where needed.
• Providing support and advice to Service Managers, when requested, with the identification of any risks arising from food production and service activities.
• Ensuring any sightings of pests are notified to the Estates Department initially by telephone and then via MICAD online to initiate a visit from pest control.

All staff engaged in food production and handling are responsible for:

• Taking precautions and reasonable care of themselves and any other persons who may be affected by their actions and the environment by ensuring that they report any sickness, infection or notifiable disease to their direct line manager, who should seek appropriate advice from Occupational Health. The staff member should not engage in any food handling until formal clearance to do so is given.
• Cooperating with all policy, procedures and safe systems of work that are in place to ensure food safety.
• Reporting all incidents (including near misses) that arise on our current NHS Fife incident reporting system, Datix.
• Completing the appropriate Food Hygiene and Allergen training on commencement of employment and attending refresher training every two years.

The Quality Assurance Team, led by the Quality Assurance Manager, are responsible for:

• Carrying out independent internal audits of all food production and service activities including general compliance with recognised and applicable standards, general condition of equipment, transportation and storage arrangements. The information gained from these audits is used in an ongoing plan for service improvements.

Clinical

Clinical Managers have an overall responsibility for:

• Ensuring that all staff who have within their role a food handling component, adhere to all food safety procedures and, where appropriate, are fully trained in Food Hygiene including Allergens and attend refresher training every two years.
• Ensuring that control measures, food safety regulations and procedures are in place which adhere to current legislation and comply with the Food Safety Act (1990).
• Complying with the Food Safety Procedure (Appendix 1) to ensure that all staff apply safe food handling practices.
• Reporting all incidents (including near misses) that arise on Datix and to the local Catering Manager.
• Providing support and advice to own team, when requested. If required, seeking clarification from infection control team, dietetic department or local catering manager.

Ensuring any sightings of pests are notified to the Estates Department initially by telephone and then via MICAD online to initiate a visit from pest control.

4. OPERATIONAL SYSTEM

Catering Managers must ensure that they have a documented food safety system in operation (HACCP) which is based on risk within the local catering department, to demonstrate to any visiting EHOs (Environmental Health Officers) that procedures are being followed within their local catering department.

All kitchens within wards and departments are cleaned by Domestic Services, it is the responsibility of the Domestic Lead to ensure cleaning is carried out to food hygiene standards by appropriately trained domestic staff. All food handlers should adopt a ‘clean as you go’ policy in ward kitchens.

The Estates Department are responsible for ensuring that all equipment purchased for a ward kitchen (eg. dishwashers, air conditioning units etc) meet a food hygiene standard to ensure prevention of infection.

The Estates Department are responsible for initiating a visit from Pest Control as an immediate priority and keeping records as a legal requirement for all visits.

All staff who wish to provide hospitality on NHS Fife premises must familiarise themselves with and adhere to the Hospital Policy (GP H4).

5.  RISK MANAGEMENT

All risks are assessed using our Food Safety Legislation and HACCP procedures.

Any incident where a failure in safe food handling practice has occurred or when there is a problem with a product or food should be reported using Datix.

6.   RELATED DOCUMENTS

GP/F3-1 - Food Safety Procedure

GP/H4 – Hospitality Policy

7.  REFERENCES

Food Safety Regulations 1995

Food Temperature Regulations 1995

Food Safety Procedure