29 September 2016 | Jamie Harris

Sodexo has secured a £90 million, five-year extension to its contract at Queen’s Hospital in Romford, Essex.

The service provider has been working with the hospital, which is operated by Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT), for the last 10 years.

Under the terms of the new deal, Sodexo is to continue its provision of soft services, including patient dining, portering, waste management, cleaning, retail, reception, security, estates management and grounds maintenance.

The new contract will also see Sodexo introduce a number of improvements to its services, which it says will focus on “enhancing patient experience” and help to release clinical time to care for patients.

It is introducing a range of steam-cooked meals, which it says will offer freshness and speed of service. Sodexo is also running a programme to replace all curtains with antimicrobial, disposable alternatives which are designed to help control the spread of disease.

Simon Mills, director of estates at BHRUT, said: “Delivering the highest quality of care possible to our patients is what we’re always working towards, so it’s been great to see some of the improvements Sodexo have made recently. These things can really make a difference and give our patients a better experience of staying in our hospital.”

Sodexo is also currently in the second year of a five-year FM contract at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, where it is providing cleaning, portering, retail and private patient services across its five hospitals in London: Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital, St Mary’s Hospital and the Western Eye Hospital.