Ordering meals

Meal services

Patient meal orders are placed and managed in Meal services.

A patient must be admitted before you can order a meal for them - refer to the Managing patients guide if you need help with this.

Getting meal orders in on time

In Meal services, you can place orders for:

• Today

• Tomorrow

You will see three services each day:

• Breakfast

• Lunch

• Dinner

Meals are prepared at set times each day. To give the kitchen enough time to prepare safely, there is a cut-off time for placing meal orders for each service. The cut-off time is usually an hour before service - check with your manager for your exact cut-off times.

To help manage meal ordering timing

• Keep track of your progress: Check the meal order tally (compared to total occupied beds) and progress bar on the relevant meal service tile. Aim to fill your progress bar before the cut-off time.

• 60 minutes before cut-off time: A clock icon appears next to the Place order button as a warning.

• When the cut-off time has passed:

  • The Place order button will disappear and a lock icon will appear

  • You can still view the orders that have been placed

  • You can’t add any new ones or cancel any existing ones

Placing a meal order for a patient

1. Click the meal service

2. Find the patient in the list

3. Click Place Order >

4. Review the patient’s profile at the top of the page and navigate to the right menu for their dietary needs

5. Choose the patient’s requested items from each section of the menu:

• Starter - if applicable

• Main - this may be a complete main option with sides already included, or the patient may have the option to select an entree (protein component of the main) and their choice of sides

• Dessert

6. Click Place order

✅ A green tick will appear next to the patient in the orders list to confirm their order’s been placed.

Important to know

• Menu items are automatically filtered by the patient’s IDDSI level

• If an item is not suitable for their texture level, it will not appear

• Only one order can be placed per patient per service per day

Understanding conflict warnings

The system helps you order options for the patient that match their dietary requirements captured in their profile.

Conflict warnings are there to remind you if something might not be right for the patient.

There are two types:

1. Diet conflict warnings

• Menu items are labelled with diet codes to guide safe choices

• A conflict warning will appear when placing an order with an item that does not match the patient’s diet

• If the order is placed, it will still go through to the kitchen

2. Allergen conflict warnings

• Any of the 14 legally governed allergens are listed below each menu item that contains them (solid grey label) or may contain them (grey border around label only)

• The allergen will be highlighted in any item selected that matches the patient’s recorded allergy

• A conflict warning will appear when placing the order

• The kitchen will be notified if the order is placed

To view or cancel an order

To view an order:

1. Click the meal service

2. Find the patient in the orders list and click View order >

To cancel an order (before cut-off):

1. In the patient’s order, click Cancel order

2. Confirm Cancel order

3. Place a new order if the patient needs something different

Troubleshooting

Ordered the wrong items?

→ Cancel and re-order (before cutoff)

Patient’s dietary needs have changed?

→ Update their profile first (see Managing patients guide)

→ Then cancel and re-order and inform the kitchen of the change

Missed the cutoff?

→ Speak to your line manager or kitchen team

Unsure about a conflict warning?

→ Speak to your manager and the kitchen