Patients at Hertfordshire hospital at 'serious risk' after kitchens receive one-star hygiene rating

Kitchens at a Hertfordshire Hospital have received a one-star rating from The Food Standards Agency (FSA) – the only establishment with the lowest grade across the NHS.

The Watford General Hospital received the lowest rating out of a possible five following a visit from the inspection body in November. It is the only hospital in hundreds in the NHS in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to currently hold an FSA ‘one-star’ rating.

A damning report by Watford Borough Council health inspectors, on behalf of the FSA, uncovered a litany of hygiene failures. A kitchen in a children’s ward had a dirty floor and bare plaster on the walls while patients with allergies have been put at ‘serious risk’ by poor safety practices.

Local health group the New Hospital Campaign (NHC) said: “No-one would feel safe eating in a café with a one-out-of-five rating. Why should vulnerable patients be exposed to such risks - in a hospital, of all places?”

The FSA reported food safety management failures including around allergens, temperature monitoring, lack of controls on handling of breakfasts and snacks, lack of a staff hand basin on Langley Ward, food served by staff without the required training and food monitoring records missing on Katherine ward at weekends.

The report demands ‘immediate and ongoing’ action to tighten up controls.

It has only been made public after pressure from the NHC although some parts of the report have been blanked out by Watford Borough Council after an appeal by the trust.

New Hospital Campaign Co-ordinator Philip Aylett said: “The trust should be ashamed to be bottom of the UK league for food hygiene on wards. The vast majority of NHS hospitals get good or very good ratings of four or five, despite working under great pressure. What is wrong with ‘one-star Watford General’?

“This report lays bare the West Herts Trust’s shocking approach to food safety for patients. It

is astonishing that, after more than three years, Watford General has still not managed to

improve the standards of its food handling above the desperately low level of 2019. It has

not delivered on its promises before. Why should we believe it this time?”

Mr Aylett also attacked the trust for not considering the report in a board meeting, saying it had reacted ‘slowly and ineffectively’.

He continued: “In nearly six months since the inspection, there has not been a single discussion of this critical situation in a trust board meeting. This is a failure of transparency, accountability and oversight by management and the trust board, especially the non-executive board members who should be acting as independent voices on the board. The public has the right to know whether its hospital is being made safe and that there is robust unbiased scrutiny of standards.”

He added it was in the public interest for the council to publish the unredacted report, without delay.

David Ambrose, acting director of environment at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are very disappointed with this rating which does not reflect the high standards of care we hold for our patients. We have refurbished the ward kitchens which were highlighted in the inspection and addressed many of the report’s concerns. We have updated processes to ensure the food handling environment is safe for our patients and are providing enhanced training for all staff who handle food so there are strong food safety management procedures in place.

“I would like to reassure the public that our patient food is safe and we look forward to the next inspection where we can demonstrate the improvements and the progress we have made.”

“The quality sub-committee chaired by a non-executive director, provides assurance to the board and we have an action plan in place with a clear timeline for improvement. We are also providing further assurance on patient nutrition as requested by the quality committee.”