Brighton beckons for hospital caterers

This year's Hospital Caterers Association Conference will see a panel of industry experts face questions on the Better Hospital Food programme and the role of the hospital matron. The two-day event, which kicks off on 29 April at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, East Sussex, will also see the panel tackle the issues of charging patients for meals and what kind of food patients want.

Among the panellists are: Forbes Mutch, editor of Caterer & Hotelkeeper; Iain Anderson, managing director of Sodexho Healthcare; Jane Collins, senior clinical nurse for the Addenbrooke's NHS Trust, Cambridge; and Simon Williams, director of policy for the Patients Association.

The speakers on day one include Lord Warner, under secretary of state for health, and Kate Harmond, executive director of service development and modernisation for East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust. The afternoon programme features a look at case studies from various European countries.

Day two's schedule includes an update on the Better Hospital Food programme by Loyd Grossman and a look at developments in catering at the Women's Royal Voluntary Service.

To book your place, go to www.conference-event-management.com/hca/