Memorandum on hospital diet : for consideration by hospitals / King Edward's Hospital Fund for London.

Date:
[1943]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memorandum on hospital diet : for consideration by hospitals / King Edward's Hospital Fund for London. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    GROUP BUYING AT THE LONDON HOSPITAL At present the voluntary hospitals for London purchase their requirements individually. This is neither economical nor efficient. Buying is carried out by Secretaries, Stewards, Matrons or Housekeeping Sisters, according to the size and the organisation of the hospital. A great many of these individuals have not the required experience nor the time to buy efficiently. The small hospital buys almost entirely in the retail market in very small quantities, and there are very few hospitals, if any, large enough to buy all their requirements wholesale at the lowest prices. At a great many hospitals the majority of the food is bought on contract for three or six months at a fixed price. Although this is necessary for such articles as milk and bread, in most other cases it is not economical ; with the fluctuation of prices it is quite im- possible to foresee prices six months ahead and as the contractors fix the price they generally cover themselves for a rise, or if price goes down quality also goes down. Hospitals at present buy a great many articles of proprietary brands in small tins and packages which are unnecessarily expensive.. The cost must ‘be more when buying broken parcels or much advertised lines. In 1930 the London Hospital reorganised its buying and catering department and centralised all buying of food for the London Hospital and its annexes, and later increased its buying by assisting other hospitals. In 1939 (in addition to the London Hospital) it was buying goods for the London Hospital Medical College and Hostel, six convalescent homes and four other small hospitals, amounting to nearly 10,000 meals a day. Owing to the large amounts bought it was possible to buy more-cheaply, to have a trained staff to carry out the buying and checking of the food, a staff of storemen, a butcher and a fish man for preparation ; also a van for transport was purchased. This enabled the hospital to buy its meat, provisions, fish and vegetables in the respective markets at wholesale prices, its groceries (cereals, dried fruits, sugar, biscuits, jam, flour, tea and coffee) and the various proprietary articles, etc., direct from the manufacturer or producer. © Other advantages of the scheme are :— The goods bought are of the most suitable quality. It is possible to buy in bulk and in large parcels (original packages, not small tins, jars, etc.) and to take advantage of articles in season and .
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