FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Sodexo has partnered with unattended retail experts, SV365 Technologies, to be the first provider in the UK to offer the 24/7 Deli, a ground-breaking automated retail solution.
The announcement comes in Nutrition and Hydration Week 2023, an annual event to focus energies and create activity and engagement to promote nutrition and hydration as a fundamental element to maintaining health and wellbeing within health and social care. This innovative solution will help to boost staff morale, improve their wellbeing, and ultimately enhance the quality of patient care by providing frontline healthcare workers and visitors access to fresh, nutritious hot and cold food options throughout the day and night.
A vast array of food and drink will be available providing on demand, fresh smoothies and soups, a healthy hot meal range including curries, paella, jerk chicken, stews, alongside Italian stone baked pizzas, sweet and savoury bakery goods and delicious ice desserts. Dishes include allergen-free, healthy choices, vegetarian and vegan options and can be tailored to suit the site population and particular dietary requirements.
Simon Lilley, Director of Strategy & Marketing, Health & Care Sodexo UK & Ireland, said: “We were honoured to have been part of the working group which developed the new National Healthcare Food & Drink Standards and although the focus is rightly on improving the wellbeing and recovery of patients it is just as important to do the same for those caring for them.
“As NHS providers work towards achieving the final eight standards, as a strategic partner to many we know how important it is for us to continue to innovate and to provide new and exciting initiatives such as the 24/7 Deli. Nutrition is a key part of our expertise, and this new automated retail solution will ensure we can play our part every day, by serving a selection of hot and cold food around the clock for frontline teams, visitors and patients.
“The first 24/7 Deli is expected to go live in a major acute hospital in the coming month.”
The hot drinks system offered has been developed in partnership with Change Please, a social enterprise which invests all its profits to provide homeless people with housing, training and a living wage.
SV365 Technologies’ automated retail solution not only enhances customer choice and improves the food options available throughout the day, but it supports the requirement for hospitals to provide 24 hours access to nutritious food and drink as mandated in the new National Healthcare Food & Drink Standards published in November 2022.
Walter Gill, Co-Founder of SV 365 Technologies, said: “We are thrilled to introduce our latest product, the 24/7 Deli, our first to be rolled out in the healthcare sector in 2023. Over the years we have scoured the world finding the newest, most exciting technologies to deliver the best quality automated food solutions for our partners. Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that it is the market leader in automated retail technology, providing customers with a convenient and accessible way to purchase fresh food & drinks. The 24/7 Deli provides nutritionally balanced food choices which meet or exceed NHS nutritional standards whilst tasting great.”
Sodexo’s Simon Lilley recently spoke to Phil Shelley, Senior Operational & Policy Manager at NHS England and Chair of the Food Review, about the new standards, why they’re important and how they’ll be measured. To watch the interview see below.
With the current economic crisis resulting in higher prices and more of a squeeze on resources, FMs need to ensure that they have robust building and maintenance services in place to control costs and reduce the need for emergency repairs. When it comes to drainage and plumbing there are also the challenges of dealing with extreme weather, from droughts to flooding, the need to meet stringent regulations and to avoid causing environmental damage.
UK drainage specialist, Metro Rod, has launched a survey which explores the main areas of interest for FMs in maintaining drainage and plumbing, including how they currently assess their supply chains to ensure they’re working with partners that meet the highest possible standards and provide value for money.
The results will be published online so that you can see how you compare to others within the sector.
The survey should take just 5-10 minutes of your time, and as a thank you, you will be entered into a prize draw, where one lucky winner will be picked at random to receive a £100 Amazon voucher.
To take part click here.
