Portlaoise hospital named national winner for Hygiene and Food Safety at National Q Mark Awards

Portlaoise hospital's catering department has won two awards including being named the overall national winner for Hygiene and Food Safety at National Q Mark Awards.

Portlaoise is the only hospital to win this national award in the last ten years. 

Known as The Oscars of Business Excellence, The Q Mark Award is the highest accolade an Irish business can achieve, given both the intense competition and the exacting standards required. 

Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise Catering Department provides its service to patients and staff of the Acute hospital, Mental Health facilities and community.

The department plans, prepares and serves fresh meals daily and continues to achieve best practice in operation by adhering to the highest standards by sourcing and providing safe and healthy food.

The full meal service is processed using the cook–fresh system through to service, which is validated by the HACCP Management system.

Due to the hospital's diverse client base, the Catering Department have implemented a “Multilingual Pictorial Menu” which also allows patients with limited communications to choose their daily food requirements. 

Trevor O’Callaghan is the CEO of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.

“To win one of the 27 coveted awards means that the Catering Department of Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise are meeting the highest standards of Quality and Excellence in Ireland.

"On behalf of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, we would like to congratulate all the catering team on their excellent achievement, which demonstrates the hospital’s commitment to its patients and staff and it is to be commended,” he said.

Michael Knowles is the Hospital Manager for Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.

“This is a very significant and prestigious award for the department and the hospital as a whole. There were in excess of 140 companies competing for this award from both the Private and Public sector.

"The staff in the Catering Department have worked tirelessly over the past number of years to achieve this excellence award. It is testament to the efforts of all staff in the department and the wider hospital. I would like to extend warm congratulations to each member of the team on this huge achievement," he said. 

Mary-Ann Coyne is a Chef for Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise.

“Winning the Q Mark Award shows us all that we are doing something right, we are all very committed to working as part of a team and helping each other to do the best job we can.

"Not only do we view the audit as a tool for learning and compliance but we really appreciate and implement the information that the auditors pass onto us at the end of the process. It informs us about industry changes and standards, as processes continue to change and improve within food safety," she said.

Ellen Egan, Chef for Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise commented: “After being nominated for the past six years we are all delighted to finally bring not one but two awards back to Portlaoise”.

Portlaoise hospital catering department won the awards on Friday, September 28 at the Clayton Hotel in Dublin. The awards were officiated by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD. 

EIQA (Excellence Ireland Quality Association) has been the Irish National Quality Association since 1968. They currently audit the standards of thousands of organisations and businesses both in Ireland and Internationally. Only businesses that achieve the highest scores at audit are shortlisted in their relevant category.