Duncan O’Neill Steps-up

Duncan O’Neill, one of the NHS experts who took part in our creation of The Healthcare Chefs’ Knowledge – due to be published in March – has taken on a new job at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT). Duncan O’Neill has become Food Safety & Quality Assurance Manager at MFT. His previous position was Support Services Manager Catering at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport.

MFT is one of the biggest NHS Trusts in the country with 10 hospitals and two local community organisations and the new role will see Duncan O’Neill support different styles of hospital food delivery.

“MFT is a fantastic opportunity for me,” O’Neill told Catherine Farinha. “I have a wealth of experience working in NHS catering and will be utilizing that knowledge in my new role as Food Safety and Quality assurance manager here at MFT which is a challenge I`m relishing. I’ll be looking to work alongside teams from around the Trust to improve the mealtime experience for all our service users and ensure this is done safely. It’s an absolute privilege to be working for the biggest Trust in the country in this role. It’s a different model of operation at MFT vs Stockport which was one of the attractions of the role here  broadening my knowledge across the sector. At MFT we have a mixture of delivery methods across the twelve sites which include ward-level regen kitchens, catering kitchen regen and individually tailored methods of delivery. I’m keen for the Trust to have a presence in all conversations around catering services at a national level and hope to actively contribute to this via the relationships I have built and colleagues I have met through working alongside NHS England.

I`m always keen to challenge stereotypes and perceptions around health service catering and believe this platform gives me the opportunity to continue this work.

I have had a warm welcome from colleagues here at MFT and look forward to the challenges ahead.”

Catherine Farinha said: “Duncan played a big part in the research for The Healthcare Chef’s Knowledge and everyone at The Chefs’ Forum wishes him well in his new job. What we have learnt is that hospital catering is done differently at every NHS Trust and our book is a way of formulating best practice and showing, in one volume, that there can be a central way of working that every trust can buy into. Duncan’s new role at MFT will be part of that process.”