At Quality General Hospital (QGH) the following steps are used in patient food preparation and tray delivery to hospital patients.
The patient completes the menu card marking his/her selections on the card. Nursing personnel on the floor check the menu card with the patient's prescribed diet. If the card is consistent with the diet of the patient the card is sent to food services. If the diet is inconsistent with what the patient is able to eat, the nurse brings the card back to the patient to be changed.
When all the menu cards have been completed, they are sent to food services. Once the cards are received by food services, a dietary worker checks the menu card with the prescribed diet. If the card and the diet agree, the dietary worker prepares the food production sheet and sends it to the kitchen. If the menu card does not match the prescribed diet the card is returned to the floor to have it changed by the patient.
When the kitchen receives the food production sheet, the food is prepared and trays assembled. The dietary carts are loaded and dietary personnel take the carts to the elevator where they wait for available elevators to take the carts to the floors.
Once the carts arrive on the floor, personnel deliver the trays to each patient.