Hundreds chant 'sack Compass' at hospital food protest

Friday, 29 April 2016

Dunedin South MP Clare Curran addresses 'Stop the Slops' protest.

Hundreds of people dissatisfied with hospital food in Otago and Southland chanted 'sack Compass' outside Dunedin Hospital.

The protest, which began outside Dunedin Hospital at noon on Friday, aimed to end the outsourcing of hospital meals to Compass Group.

Dunedin South MP Clare Curran said the Southern District Health Board (DHB) signing a 15-year contract with Compass was 'a dumb thing to do'.

A large group braved the wet weather in Dunedin to protest the quality of food being served to hospital patients.

'Now we are seeing the false economy as a result of that stupid decision.'

During her speech hundreds of people, including patients, chanted 'sack Compass', and 'stop the slops'.

A breast cancer patient at the 'Stop the Slops' protest outside Dunedin Hospital.

Protesters chanted 'stop the slops' outside Dunedin Hospital.

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Hundreds protest in Dunedin against the quality of food offered to patients at Southern DHB facilities.

The new Compass Group meals were introduced to Southland Hospital on January 11, and Wakari and Dunedin Hospitals on February 10, as a cost-cutting measure by the cash-strapped Southern DHB.

Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt said he was pleased to be in Dunedin 'once again fighting alongside our brothers and sisters from Otago on a health issue'.

A meal similar to that served to Health Minister, Dr Jonathan Coleman, at Dunedin Hospital on April 1.

'The last time I was here it was because of the cut in neurological services and we beat them on that, we won that one, and we can win this one as well.'

Southern DHB chief executive Carole Heatly said management were listening, and had talked to Compass about any 'teething problems'.

'I think Compass are working hard to put things right.'

Compass Group chief executive Julian Baldey said he was confident the company was providing good quality food that meets standards specified by the Southern DHB.

Measurement of performance criteria, which began on April 1, included patient satisfaction surveys, and 'we will continue to respond to honest feedback'.

He rejected descriptions of some meals as 'slops'.

Amongst the crowd was a breast cancer patient who had

'Texture modified diets are often prescribed for patients who have had strokes; depicting these meals as 'slop' is potentially demeaning for someone who requires their food to be prepared in this way.'

Patient Christine Ashton had been at Dunedin Hospital for six weeks, and her family had supplied her own protein-rich meals on the recommendation of medical staff.

The protest was organised by the Real Meal Coalition, which included Grey Power Southland, Unions Otago, Unions Southland, Labour, the Green Party, New Zealand First, and other organisations.

Complaints over the quality of Compass' food had been debated in Parliament, with Health Minister Jonathan Coleman asking Labour Health spokeswoman Annette King why she did not 'man up' and try the food when she visited Dunedin Hospital.

Coleman had previously eaten the 'standard Kiwi fare' behind closed doors at the hospital.

In response to complaints and media coverage, Compass Group's Lauren Scott confirmed the company was introducing new roles of 'patient experience co-ordinators' who would patrol wards before, during and after each meal service.

Compass provided food services for nine DHBs, including Auckland, Waitemata, Counties Manukau and Canterbury.

Six DHBs, including the Southern DHB, were served food from the same menu each day, some 4000 meals.

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