Mr Ryall issued a statement yesterday to address ''a lot of misinformation'' about a plan to ''streamline'' health board food services.
''Nothing will happen unless improving the quality of food and ensuring good nutrition can be assured. It is incorrect to say that 50 hospital kitchens will be closed, and it is incorrect to say that 1300 jobs will be lost, as has been claimed.
''Rather, the proposal suggests that 65% of all [patient] meals will still be prepared locally.''
Crown entity Health Benefits Ltd (HBL) has chosen the caterer Compass as its preferred respondent to enter a due diligence phase to work towards signing a contract. There was no guarantee Compass would be the end provider, however, an HBL consultation report released to stakeholders said. Risks of the outsourcing included ''negative publicity'' for the minister, monopoly behaviour, and service quality during the transition, the report said.
Compass had suggested setting up two production hubs, in Christchurch and Auckland. The report said the case for a second North Island production hub would be considered in the due diligence phase.
While 65% of hospital meals would be prepared locally, meals on wheels would be centralised, transported, and reheated in local hospital kitchens before delivery.
The consultation report said the health sector expected to pay an average of about $12.30 per patient meal over the next 15 years, which the proposed outsourcing would reduce, by an undisclosed amount.
Likewise for meals on wheels, the sector expected to pay an average of about $10.30 per meal over the next 15 years, which outsourcing would reduce.
Savings of between $100 million and $175 million were expected over 15 years, the report said.
A spokeswoman for Mr Ryall said the HBL report was under consultation with boards and unions. A business case was still some months away, she said.
The spokeswoman said she understood ''fresh food'' would also be added locally to the meals on wheels.
Southern District Health Board is one of five boards that still provides food services in-house. Fifteen boards outsource the service, all with individual arrangements.
