A Norfolk hospital has started a working relation-ship with an online catering supplier that could save tens of thousands of pounds a year.

A Norfolk hospital has started a working relation-ship with an online catering supplier that could save tens of thousands of pounds a year.

Trust managers at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), King's Lynn, have agreed a one-year deal with Supply Direct. The London-based company will work with it initially in a trial, but there is the opportunity of extending the agreement for another three years.

Hospital hotel services manager Angela Hircock said: "One of our aims at the trust is to save money, and, with budgets being squeezed all the time, Supply Direct offered us an opportunity to substantially reduce our costs.

"We used to feed 450 patients at a cost of £2.58 per patient per day, but with Supply Direct this has been reduced to just £2.05 per patient per day."

As part of its service, Supply Direct will provide the QEH with technology and expertise to help reduce staff costs. The deal is expected to save the cash-strapped hospital trust more than £50,000 a year.

Managers at the QEH have already laid off staff and taken beds out of use to try to claw back debts of more than £10m. And, last month, chief executive Ruth May issued a memo to workers outlining plans to review the number of senior managers at the hospital.

Supply Direct managing director Damian Bell said: "We estimate that it costs the NHS £30 to £40 to process each invoice they receive from food suppliers, and normally they will be receiving 30 to 50 of these per week. With Supply Direct you receive only one invoice per week, making a huge saving.

"We are really pleased to be working with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in helping to reduce its costs."

Supply Direct's online Interchef system will provide the QEH with menu planning services and stock management.