New Nutrition Partnership to Equip Acute Clinicians

This new partnership between Sodexo and Culinary Medicine is fully endorsed and encouraged by NHS England, and it aims to reduce the impact caused by malnutrition.

Good nutrition is an integral component of patient care. Eating correctly provides substantial physical benefit and psychological comfort throughout hospital admission. It has the power to prevent a significant number of chronic diseases, as well as the ability to lessen mortality, reduce morbidity and accelerate recovery¹.

As a leading provider of food services to the healthcare industry, Sodexo understands the critical role nutrition plays in patient recovery and is proud to elevate its offering to the NHS with this new partnership with Culinary Medicine UK, an organisation dedicated to advancing nutrition education among healthcare professionals.

This industry-leading initiative offers NHS staff evidence-based learning through five modules which have been developed blending nutrition, health, and culinary expertise, covering critical topics. The five modules are:

• The role of nutrition in health: Exploring the impact of food on health maintenance and disease prevention.
• Culinary skills: Equipping professionals with practical cooking techniques to provide culturally sensitive nutrition advice.
• Nutrition for healthcare professionals: Focusing on the importance of self-nutrition and wellbeing for healthcare workers.
• Undernutrition: Addressing the challenges and management of malnutrition in clinical settings.
• Introduction to motivational interviewing: Enhancing communication skills to support patient behaviour change regarding dietary habits.

Malnutrition affects up to 50% of hospital inpatients² and costs NHS England over £19 billion annually³. By empowering healthcare professionals with comprehensive nutrition education and providing our patients with cost-effective meal solutions without compromising quality or taste, we aim to reduce the impact caused by malnutrition. 

Malnourished patients stay in a hospital more than 3 days longer⁴ than those who are well-nourished. The improvements we introduce not only enhance patient outcomes but also contribute to significant cost savings for the NHS.

65% of patients said that food impacted their overall experience of being in hospital⁵. Every meal is an opportunity to improve a patient's health and wellbeing. By offering personalised dining experiences, Sodexo supports faster recovery through:

• A personal touch and timely feedback: Experiencia platform creates a more tailored approach to care. Valuable insight collected daily, helps us take action in the moment, contributing to a positive hospital experience.
• Diverse menus: Our comprehensive menus are nutritionally complete, ensuring that all dietary needs are met with compassion and precision.
• Flexible mealtimes: Our flexible dining solution can give patients control over what and when they eat. They can select meals at their own pace, making dining an experience that fits seamlessly into their recovery journey.
• Retail and 24/7 solutions: Whether it's a high street favourite or a nutritious meal by our own brands, we cover a wide range of preferences, also offering 24/7 food solutions to ensure that everyone has access to the meals they need.
• A patient concierge solution: Through our dedicated Concierge solution long stay patients can even request and receive food from their favourite outlets, within and from outside of the hospital.

Every patient deserves meals that are not only nourishing but also safe and compliant with the NHS National Standards for Healthcare Food & Drink and the British Dietetic Association Digest. This commitment is carried out with strict allergen management and safety protocols, so that every meal is prepared with the utmost care. From careful staff training to monitoring of food delivery, Sodexo prioritises patient safety at every stage.

Hydration and nutrition are essential aspects of patient recovery. Our teams can work closely with clinical teams to monitor these critical needs. This approach not only enhances patient care but also helps clinical staff focus on other important tasks, with 72% of healthcare professionals reporting that it frees up time for additional clinical duties⁶.

To maintain the highest standards of compliance and care, Sodexo invests in comprehensive training programs for all team members and the NHS healthcare professionals. Culinary Medicine’s evidence-based, interactive modules equip frontline staff with the tools needed to deliver safe and compliant nutritional support. This ongoing commitment to nutritional education ensures that patients receive the best possible care, with each meal carefully crafted to meet their unique needs, supported by a team that is always learning and improving.

¹Frost, Jessica C, and Alexander J Baldwin. “'Food for thought': The importance of nutrition to patient care and the role of the junior doctor.” Clinical medicine (London, England) vol. 21,3 (2021): e272-e274. doi:10.7861/clinmed.2020-0707

²Cass, Alyssa R, and Karen E Charlton. “Prevalence of hospital-acquired malnutrition and modifiable determinants of nutritional deterioration during inpatient admissions: A systematic review of the evidence.” Journal of human nutrition and dietetics: the official journal of the British Dietetic Association vol. 35,6 (2022): 1043-1058. doi:10.1111/jhn.13009

³Stratton RJ, Smith TS and Gabe SG. 2018. Managing malnutrition to improve lives and save money. https://www.bapen.org.uk/pdfs/reports/mag/managing-malnutrition.pdf 

⁴Malnutrition in England factsheet (Last update July 2024), Malnutrition Task Force. Available at: https://www.malnutritiontaskforce.org.uk/malnutrition-england-factsheet

⁵NHS Hospital Food Survey, The Patients Association, published in February 2020.

⁶Sodexo clinical hydration and nutrition survey, 2022.

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