Pioneering Catering Developments for Inpatients at Milton Keynes University Hospital

A brilliant collaboration between catering manager Frank Fiore, consultant geriatrician Dr Maria Panourgia, and dietitian Ana Wermelinger is transforming patient nutrition on our wards — and the results are already speaking for themselves.

From Fortified Drinks to Flavourful Shakes

Patients living with frailty, including those recovering from a fractured neck of femur, are often given Ensure fortified drinks to aid recovery. However, a recent project led by Dr Panourgia set out to discover how many of those drinks were actually being consumed.

“We discovered that only 25% of patients were drinking the Ensure, with over 50% of bottles going in the bin unopened,” says Dr Panourgia.

In response, Frank and Ana introduced a more appealing alternative.

“To see if we could increase uptake Frank and Ana devised a ‘milkshake and cake’ initiative. Instead of the Ensure drinks that patients found unpalatable, they devised a high protein shake that could be mixed with milk and offered in three different flavours. The patients really enjoyed it and when offered twice a day, our audit showed that almost 90% of patients were consuming the whole drink. This was extremely encouraging as good nutrition is vital for recovery.”

Understanding Patient Preferences

Beyond nutrition, it is essential that patients receive meals they actually enjoy. Yet not all patients are able to express their likes and dislikes clearly while in hospital.

“I had a patient who was very complimentary about his care, except for the fact that he was being offered meals he didn’t find enjoyable. Frank put together a questionnaire to be completed by either patients or those close to them, which records their food and drink preferences. This is now currently available to every patient on Wards 19 and 23 and the menus are now on iPads to make selection more straightforward.”

This simple, tech-friendly solution is making a big impact.

Small Steps That Make a Big Difference

“These steps seem very simple, but they make such a difference to a patient’s hospital stay and can have a positive impact on their recovery and discharge,” adds Dr Panourgia.

This initiative is a fantastic example of patient-centred care in action — where nutrition, communication, and compassion come together to support recovery.

A huge thank you to Frank, Dr Panourgia, and Ana for their thoughtful collaboration — a shining example of how small changes in nutrition and patient engagement can lead to big improvements in care.