Eastleigh

Friday 7 March 2003

20 - 22 November 2002

Eastleigh Borough is a relatively small coastal authority in Hampshire, covering an area of 8,000 hectares and with a resident population of 116,000.

The Borough has a relatively high level of prosperity and a population density that is about 3 times greater than the County average, centred around the towns of Eastleigh, Chandler's Ford and Hedge End.

Executive Summary

The Service had suffered a period of staff shortages due to recruitment difficulties and officer transfers within the Business Unit. Although food enforcement activities had been re-prioritised in an attempt to manage these circumstances, businesses had not been inspected at the required minimum frequencies, food sampling had lapsed and it could not be confirmed that effective follow-up action had been taken in all cases where unsatisfactory conditions had been identified.

The Authority was satisfied that the current level of staffing was now adequate and had reduced the backlog of overdue inspections. A framework of policies and procedures was being put in place that should, when fully implemented, provide the necessary benchmark to permit effective monitoring of service delivery.

Key Areas for Improvement:

Food Sampling – Other than 6 samples submitted for analysis immediately prior to the audit, the Authority had not submitted any food samples or complaints for laboratory analysis over the preceding 2 years. The Authority did not have a documented sampling policy, procedure or sampling programme. Food sampling is an important enforcement tool used by enforcement authorities to monitor high risk food operations, to provide objective evidence in support of inspection findings and complaints, and to provide surveillance data.

Inspection Frequencies – The Authority had not been carrying out inspections of food businesses at the minimum frequencies, according to risk, required by Food Safety Act Code of Practice No. 9: Food Hygiene Inspections. This included premises identified as high risk and those approved by the Authority. The minimum inspection frequencies set out in the Code of Practice seek to ensure that enforcement authorities inspect food businesses at a sufficient frequency to enable timely checks and interventions to be made.