The head of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s catering team has won a national award for leading it to exceptionally high standards.
Duncan O’Neil won the ‘Special Contribution Award’ at this year’s Public Sector Catering Awards, which were announced in a ceremony at the London Hilton Metropole on April 13th. The award was for an individual or organisation who has performed a role which has had a significant positive influence in the provision of os services in the Public Sector.
The team as a whole were shortlisted in the ‘Hospital Catering of the Year’ and ‘Team of the Year’ at the awards, which celebrate the very best in public sector catering across the country.
The team, based at Stepping Hill Hospital, has reached its high standards under the leadership of Duncan O’Neil who has been praised by colleagues for his hard work, innovation, and his dedication to improving staff morale. He is described by colleagues as being a supportive manager who helps colleagues to progress in their roles, and having a constant and consistent desire to learn and improve the service, taking the team around him along at every step, which helps create a strong team working ethic.
The team provides catering for both inpatients and the hospital restaurant, and has set continually high standards, being recognised as an ‘examplar site’ for other NHS trusts to follow since 2021, and with two of its Assistant Head Chefs Erica Bell and Shelley Pearson-Smith named as NHS Chefs of the Year following a nation-wide competition run by NHS England and NHS Improvement in 2022.
As well as keeping to high nutritional standards, the team pride themselves on their diversity, with food and recipes from around the world, and with special menus developed for theme days including religious, cultural, and other celebrations.
Duncan is the first to admit none of the improvements or changes would be possible without the support of the kitchen management team of Asela Kuruwita, Nicholas Roberts and Emma Cartmill and all members of the team who care about the patient experience at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.
Paul Featherstone, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust Director for Estates and Facilities said “It is very fitting that Duncan has won a ‘Special Contribution’ award as this is very much the quality he brings to his leadership of our outstanding catering team. Huge congratulations to Duncan for his achievement, and also to the team as a whole for the recognition they have all received at the Public sector Catering Awards.”