Food at Airedale Hospital has improved, according to an audit.

In a self-assessment for the 2010 Patient Environment Action Team (PEAT), the hospital has rated itself as ‘excellent’ in eight categories and ‘good’ in one. Not one of the elements of its food was ranked as ‘unacceptable, poor or acceptable’.

Last March, catering company Sodexo won the contract to provide food to patients at Airedale Hospital, despite unions, patients, the public and Keighley MP Ann Cryer opposing the move.

The PEAT assessment for food and hydration last year scored 95.6 per cent, in the ‘excellent’ band, and this year achieved 97.7 per cent.

Airedale NHS Trust chief executive Adam Cairns said: “We have an excellent rating for food and hydration.

“We should take assurances from this despite recent reports in the press about the catering.”

Airedale will review its approach in light of a Healthcare Commission report into the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Found-ation Trust and its scandalous treatment of patients. A catalogue of failings leading to the deaths of up to 1,200 people at Stafford Hospital due to a lack of compassion among staff, among many criticisms, was revealed in the report last month.

Airedale, along with NHS trusts across the country, will look at the report in full and actively consider the way they do business.

Mr Cairns invited suggestions from board members to be brought to next month’s meeting.

He said: “This is a very important document for the NHS at large.

“I think this represents a further reminder that the approach we take to quality needs to be very diligent indeed.

“We need to reflect on the implications of this report and we have to reflect on the mechanisms we have been using and our capabilities in this area.”

Meanwhile, Airedale has made a declaration that it is committed to “virtually eliminating” mixed-sex accommodation.