Patients at Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Frimley, Surrey, start the day with a hot, cooked breakfast. Kevan Wallace – Assistant Hotel Services Manager (Catering) and ex-National Chairman of The Hospital Caterers Association – emphasises the importance of serving freshly cooked food on a daily basis. He is proud that Frimley Park Hospital is still serving hot breakfasts while many others have opted for cold.
Running eight hours a day, 365 days a year, and handling 2,000 meals per day, Wallace stresses that “the dishwashing system is a very important piece of kit”.
Wallace began thinking about a replacement machine four years ago and looked into the options from a number of suppliers, focusing in particular on a comparison of the running costs. It was during a visit to the Hotelympia 2010 exhibition that he came across the new M-iQ flight type dishwashing machines and was impressed by their quality.
“Our old unit operated on a weir system, with water flowing through the machine. The new one has a much better carbon footprint in terms of energy savings, water usage and chemical consumption. The pre-wash, for example, is fed from the used rinse water – this machine works back to front. There is a heat pump fitted which captures hot, moist air from around the machine and recycles the energy; so there is no need for ventilation.
In terms of chemicals we have already noticed a big difference – we have halved our usage. I am sure the energy and water savings will follow, but it is too early to tell.
Installation went very smoothly. The MEIKO team arrived on the first day in the morning and had the old machine out by the evening."
"Three days later the machine was commissioned, the staff trained, and we were off!”
Wallace notes that “although there are similarities to the old machine in terms of work flow, from the staffs’ point of view they find it a joy to use. The colour-coding also helps. All the things that are removable and need taking off for cleaning are blue.” And he adds: “it’s also so quiet compared to the old machine.”
A successful solution: MEIKO’s M-iQ technology has proved to be an excellent choice for Frimley Park Hospital.
