On 19th July this year, the renowned Hermitage Medical Clinic in Dublin’s Old Lucan Road got the tonic it richly deserved for its catering provision in the form of a prestigious CAP Gold Award.

The Hermitage Medical Clinic had previously opened its catering up to scrutiny by our stringent inspection team in 2017, also landing a Gold Award on that occasion. That’s a rare achievement for a first-time participation in the CAP programme. The Clinic manages a very busy catering operation providing services to inpatients, day patients, restaurant visitors and function rooms.

Our Chief CAP inspector singled out the positive role played by teamwork across the catering department, noting that this was essential for the provision of great service. He went further by highlighting the interaction between the kitchen, ward catering and restaurant staff, declaring these observations as “particularly gratifying” and “boding well for the continued progression of the service with patient and diner feedback being captured and communicated effectively.”

Other aspects of the CAP report noted excellent practice in securing patient interaction and opinions using innovations such as comment cards and a forum group. For instance, positive feedback gathered during the unannounced inspection visit showed the roast lunch to be a favourite with patients.

Mary Shore, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Nursing & Clinical Services commented: “We are extremely proud of our catering team. They are ceaseless in their desire to progress the service and always looking for new ways to deliver. The retention of the CAP Gold Award is a tremendous achievement and justifiably deserved.”