New national role for Solent NHS Trust catering boss Iain Robertson

The former NHS chef, who has been Catering Operations Manager at Solent Trust for the past four years, will be the next chair of the acclaimed Hospital Caterers Association (HCA).

Iain will serve as the organisation’s national vice-chair for 12 months before starting his two-year chairmanship in April 2024.

‘Tasty wholesome food plays a crucial part in a patient’s recovery from illness or surgery, yet all too often is either overlooked or undervalued,’ he said.

‘I am looking forward to working with like-minded colleagues to drive up quality where needed and showcase some of the amazing work already going on in NHS kitchens across the country.’

One of Iain’s main focus areas is likely to involve making the association more inclusive and, in particular, attracting younger catering leaders to ensure it is truly representative of the industry, which has seen huge changes over the past decade.

The HCA represents the single largest group of healthcare catering providers within the NHS and is the recognised ‘voice’ of hospital catering.

It represents catering managers who provide a wide range of food and other services for patients, visitors and staff in NHS hospitals and healthcare facilities.

A national organisation, it has 15 branches throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and has more than 250 hospitals represented in its membership.

Mark Young, Deputy Director of Estates and Facilities at Solent NHS Trust, said: ‘We are very proud that Iain has taken up this high profile role with such an influential body as the HCA.

‘His passion, commitment and drive have shone through at Solent, where he encourages his team to treat every patient as if they were a member of their own family.

‘Iain will be the ideal person to raise the profile of hospital catering and bring key industry issues to the national stage.’

Iain began his NHS career in Dorset in 1999 and worked in various roles within catering before moving into his current role with Solent NHS Estates and Facilities, where he leads the catering provision for patients and retail outlets across five inpatient sites.

The Solent NHS Trust includes St Mary’s and St James’ hospitals in Portsmouth.