ISS and SA Health networks successfully enhance food safety through collaboration

A customised solution for complex dietary needs
Deployed in high-capacity hospitals such as SALHN’s Flinders Medical Centre (FMC), Repat Health Precinct, and NALHN’s Modbury Hospital, Safe Food Pro is designed to manage complex dietary requirements. At FMC, the system supports an eight-day menu that includes over 100 diet codes and 50 allergy restrictions, ensuring that every meal meets specific patient needs. 

Similarly, Modbury Hospital and Repat Health Precinct have leveraged Safe Food Pro to tailor food services that align with their unique operational workflows. For instance, FMC’s cook-fresh model contrasts with the cook-chill model at Repat Health Precinct and the heat-and-serve model at Modbury Hospital, illustrating the solution’s versatility.

The Safe Food Pro solution supports a seamless food service across multiple sites with varying needs:

• Flinders Medical Centre (FMC): A 650-bed hospital with an intricate eight-day cook/fresh menu accommodating over 100 diet codes and 50 allergies, including texture-modified diets. The facility serves a wide range of patient types, including paediatrics, maternity, rehab, mental health, medical, surgical and palliative care.

• Modbury Hospital: A 200-bed hospital with similar menu complexity and patient types as FMC, including rehab, mental health, medical, surgical and palliative care.

• Repat Health Precinct: A 150-bed health precinct with an eight-day retherm menu, catering to rehab and older persons’ mental health, featuring over 100 diet codes and 50 allergies.

Enhancing patient care and compliance
The Safe Food Pro solution has profoundly enhanced patient care and customer service. Fully compliant with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) requirements, the system guarantees the safety of all food served, directly contributing to improved patient wellbeing and satisfaction.

Transitioning from paper-based records to a digital platform has helped staff by eliminating manual errors and significantly boosting operational efficiency. Live reporting allows managers to monitor food-safety performance closely and address any issues swiftly.

Overcoming challenges and supporting sustainability
One of the system’s key strengths is its ability to adapt to different sites with varying needs, enhancing collaboration and agility. During the rollout, the team encountered challenges, particularly with the calendar-based system conflicting with their eight-day menu cycle, and connectivity issues with ISS devices. To address these, a search bar with predictive text was introduced to improve usability, and after some initial setbacks, the connectivity issues were resolved, ensuring smooth operation.

The system’s implementation has also introduced a stronger focus on sustainability. By reducing the need for paper-based records, Safe Food Pro has contributed to a greener approach, with an estimated reduction of 6,000 sheets of paper annually during audits alone.

Feedback from recent presentations at events including the Food Auditors conference speaks for itself, “From our perspective, the presentation [that you provided Kaye and Brian], was extremely beneficial to our auditors and provided a perfect example for us to share our experiences and learnings regarding electronic record monitoring … the feedback we had on this topic from the auditors was extremely positive.”

It's clear that the positive impact of this bespoke Safe Food Pro solution extends beyond operational efficiency. Its ability to enhance patient satisfaction, reduce foodborne illnesses and contribute to sustainability demonstrates its value as a strategic investment. As ISS continues to leverage this innovative solution at SA Health, it reinforces the joint commitment to providing the highest quality care and setting new standards for food safety in healthcare.

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About ISS:
ISS is a leading workplace experience and facility management company, operating in over 30 countries worldwide.

ENDS

For more information about ISS Australia and New Zealand see:
LinkedIn: ISS Australia and New Zealand
Website: www.issworld.com/en-au