In 2019, a listeriosis outbreak in NHS hospitals resulted in seven deaths and prompted a fundamental review of food safety practices across the NHS. The subsequent 2020 NHS Food Review placed renewed emphasis on the FSA’s listeriosis guidance for healthcare caterers — guidance that is now embedded in the NHS England National Standards for Healthcare Food & Drink 2022.

Despite this, there remains a significant gap between the understood risk of listeriosis and the controls in place across many healthcare settings. Unlike most pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes can survive and grow in refrigeration. It does not behave like standard food safety hazards, and standard food hygiene training alone does not address it adequately.

Existing provision focuses either on infection control (clinical) or food manufacturing — not on the day-to-day catering environment of hospitals and care homes.

Listeriosis is a serious illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that can grow at refrigeration temperatures. In healthcare settings, patients are often elderly, or immunocompromised, which are the groups typically most vulnerable to severe or fatal infection. This makes proactive Listeria management essential, not optional.

Standard food hygiene courses do not cover L. monocytogenes in the detail required for healthcare compliance. This course is specifically aligned to the FSA’s listeriosis guidance for healthcare caterers and the NHS England National Standards for Healthcare Food & Drink 2022, making it directly applicable to NHS Trusts and care settings.

Yes. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects healthcare providers to demonstrate robust food safety management as part of safe, patient-centred care. This training provides documented evidence of compliance and supports a positive patient safety culture.

It’s suitable for anyone with responsibility for food safety or catering operations in a healthcare setting, including catering managers, IPC leads, ward managers, facilities teams, and compliance officers.

The course is delivered at your own premises or online by a qualified Food Alert instructor. It is designed as a private in-house course for groups of up to 15 people.

Candidates who pass the 15-question multiple choice examination receive a Food Alert certificate, providing formal evidence of listeriosis awareness training.

Yes. As an in-house course, delivery can be contextualised to reflect your specific setting, patient population and existing food safety management systems. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements.

The Standards require NHS Trusts in England to implement the FSA’s listeriosis guidance for healthcare caterers, which includes specific controls around chilled food management, supplier assurance, and staff training. This course explains those requirements in full and equips your team to meet them.