One of the country’s leading specialist eating disorder hospitals has joined the nationally-recognised Continuous Advancement Programme (CAP) to raise its housekeeping service delivery and catering provision to levels that parallel its renowned medical excellence.

Based in Mill Hill, North London, the acclaimed Ellern Mede Ridgeway hospital is itself nationally-recognised for its specialist provision of inpatient and outpatient treatment of children and young people suffering from a broad range of eating disorders. The hospital’s medical excellence and the effectiveness of its treatments are beyond reproach. Now the organisation’s housekeeping and catering teams have elected to join the CAP Awards programme to realise a shared ambition to be the very best.

Members of the CAP programme share a passion for raising the standards of housekeeping and catering in healthcare organisations across the UK and Ireland. Along with reports of performance detailed from a rigorous inspection regime, the CAP Awards programme provides valuable roadmaps and an Action Plan for quality and cost efficiency improvements.

In its first-ever exposure to the stringent CAP Awards inspectors this March, the hospital’s housekeeping and catering teams both received a commendable Bronze CAP Award – accolades that are not handed out lightly.

“We wish to welcome the staff at Ellern Mede to the CAP Programme,” says Chief CAP Assessor Ian Jackson. “Joining CAP is a notable commitment that invariably highlights a desire for improvement. None more so than with both housekeeping and catering departments at Ellern Mede sharing that vision to be the best.”

In his CAP Assessment report, Jackson points to an unusual blend of independent resource delivery and close collaboration between the departments that bodes well for future progress. “From my considerable experience, I can say with all sincerity that rarely in healthcare are these two services so closely inter-related and deeply involved in the wellbeing of patients. The interaction with patients is exemplary,” he explains, adding: “We wish them every success on their journey within the Programme and look forward to being an instrumental part of future success, which I have no doubt will be achieved.”

Peter Curtis, Managing Director at Ellern Mede Ridgeway, expressed his delight with the aspirations of the housekeeping and catering teams. “We are so very proud of them,” he says. “To have the ambition to be the best is a credit to every member of the team. I am confident that all involved will rise to the challenge and enjoy working with this great programme to ensure a tangible benefit for everyone.”