Improving the quality, nutritional benefit, and enjoyment of food for older people in hospitals

This paper outlines an inclusive service design approach taken to address a crisis facing the NHS, that of nutrition in older people in hospitals. In the conceptualisation, design and evaluation of a prototype food delivery service, the three-year project will consider the needs and interests of all those involved through a ‘food family’ and, with key stakeholders, will align the ‘food journey’ with ‘patient pathways’ to consider people, products, places, and procedures. It will involve a broad-range of specialisms in different UK centres working together to employ a range of traditional and emerging methods and techniques for user engagement in the development of the design of this service. Given the complexity of the challenge, the authors stress the importance of both the conceptualisation of the service, and the careful design of the ‘touch points’ of the service.