Page 1 of 7 Policy Objective To ensure that ward based staff are aware of their responsibilities in relation to food hygiene in local clinical areas. This policy applies to all staff employed by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and locum staff on fixed term contracts and volunteer staff. Compliance with this policy is mandatory. KEY CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THIS POLICY Update of reference list/ legislation. This policy now specifically applies to ward/ department kitchens. Document Control Summary Approved by and date BICC of Publication Developed by Infection Control Policy Sub-Group 0141 211 2677 Related Documents Distribution/ Availability Implications of Race Equality and other diversity duties for this document Equality and Diversity Impact Assessment Completed Lead Manager Responsible Director NHSGGC Hand Hygiene Policy NHSGGC Infection Prevention and Control Policy Manual and the Internet This policy must be implemented fairly and without prejudice whether on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. Assistant Director of Nursing Infection Control Board Infection Control Manager
Page 2 of 7 CONTENTS 1. Responsibilities...3 2. Protective Clothing...3 3. Patients Food...3 4. Refrigerator...4 5. Bread...4 6. Dry Foods...4 7. Microwave Ovens...4 8. Access to ward kitchens...5 9. Hand Hygiene...5 10. Occupational Health...5 11. Audit...6 12. Evidence Base...7
Page 3 of 7 1. Responsibilities HCWs must: Follow this policy. Senior Charge Nurses/Managers must: Ensure that HCWs receive training if required. Advise HCWs to contact the Occupational Health Service as necessary. Ensure that daily temperature checks are carried out. Ensure that food stored at ward level is stored correctly and labelled and dated. Infection Control must: Keep this policy up-to-date. Give advice as required to Occupational Health Staff and all HCWs. Occupational Health Service must: Liaise with Infection Control Staff regarding any possible infection/ return to work issues when necessary. NHSGGC must: Provide training opportunities. Ensure that equipment and facilities are fit for purpose and maintained. 2. Protective Clothing Ward based staff are required to don a clean plastic apron of the appropriate colour immediately prior to handling and serving food and beverages. This must be replaced each time non-food handling duties are carried out. 3. Patients Food Food must not be reheated. If a patient is unable to eat at planned meal times, an alternative meal will be made available on request to the Catering Department. Under no circumstances should meals be kept at ward level for subsequent use. High-risk contents of snack boxes, e.g. sandwiches and yoghurts, must be discarded within 2 hours of service. Sip feeds (such as build up) made with milk should not be left standing on the bedside locker for more than 4 hours, after which they must be discarded. All unused food, hot or cold, must be returned to the kitchen with the trolley.
Page 4 of 7 4. Refrigerator The refrigerator should be cleaned daily and as spills occur. Door seals should be checked weekly. Storage of staff and patients personal food should be restricted as far as possible. Where storage is essential, all items must be wrapped or sealed and labelled with the person s name and the date it was placed in the refrigerator. Expiry dates should be checked daily by a nominated member of ward staff. Any food found to be out-of-date must be discarded. Under no circumstances should eggs, raw meat or poultry be stored in the ward refrigerator. Refrigerators should be used for food storage ONLY. The refrigerator temperature should be checked and recorded daily. The refrigerator should operate between 1ºC 5ºC. The nurse in charge should be informed of any rise in temperature. Where there is a rise in temperature, the door should not be opened for 15 minutes when a second reading should be taken. If the temperature remains incorrect, notify Facilites via the local help desk immediately. All new appliances should be fitted with a digital temperature display, and be designed to operate between 1ºC 5ºC. 5. Bread Bread should be stored in the ward kitchen/ beverage bay, in its original packaging and should not be used after the manufacturer s expiry date. Strict stock rotation must be observed at all times. 6. Dry Foods Inspect packaging for damage and check the use by date on receipt and before use, store in sealable separate clean containers and use under strict stock rotation. The containers must be washed and thoroughly dried once per week. 7. Microwave Ovens Microwave ovens should only be used for staff foods. Under no circumstances should they be used to reheat patients food. It is the responsibility of the staff using the ovens to ensure that they are cleaned after each use.
Page 5 of 7 8. Access to ward kitchens Patients/ parents should not usually have access to the ward kitchen/ beverage bay and refrigerator unless permission has been granted by the nurse in charge. Where it is deemed therapeutic for patients to have access to the ward kitchen, they must be supervised by a member of staff. 9. Hand Hygiene All HCWs are required to wash their hands before and after contact with food. Hands must be washed properly using liquid soap and running water and then dried thoroughly. It is important to offer hand washing facilities/ wipes for each patient. Hand wash basins are for hand washing only and must not be used for any other purpose. 10. Occupational Health All staff must inform the Occupational Health Service if they are suffering from: diarrhoea or vomiting throat infections skin rashes boils or any other skin lesion Any HCW suffering from diarrhoea should inform the Occupational Health Service within working hours. Out-of-hours, they must inform their line manager and then Occupational Health at the beginning of the next working day. They will be asked to submit a stool specimen. Staff suffering from diarrhoea will not be allowed to return to work until they have been symptom free for 48 hours. It is important that managers monitoring sickness inform the Occupational Health Service and Infection Control if they have more than one member of their staff off duty at one time with a gastrointestinal illness.
11. Audit NHS GREATER GLASGOW & CLYDE Page 6 of 7 Criteria 1. Refrigerator temperatures are recorded daily Yes/ No Comments Actions required 2. All food stored in the refrigerator is labelled, dated and in date. 3. HCW wear the correct protective clothing when giving out meals of beverages (observed). 4. Staff are aware of the action to take if they have any symptoms of infection (ask two members of staff). Audit undertaken by: Action plan required: Results fed back to: : This audit may be undertaken by a member of ward staff, or the Infection Control Team as part of their annual audit programme
Page 7 of 7 12. Evidence Base Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 EC Regulations 852/2004 (Hygiene & Foodstuffs)