Health checks for West End restaurants 'in state of chaos'

WESTMINSTER CITY Council's food inspection service, which is responsible for vital health checks to prevent food poisoning in West End restaurants, is in a state of chaos, according to a damning Government report.

A year after an internal report showed that one-third of the 6,000 food-related businesses in Westminster, which includes a large part of central London, had not been visited, the council had still not listed every premises needing inspection.

The Department of Health report published yesterday, and based on a visit in April by inspectors, states: "Westminster was unable to satisfy the officials that it had identified all the food businesses in its area."

More seriously, the report reveals that in previous years Westminster has carried out less than one-third of the inspections it should have done on restaurants, shops, supermarkets, hospitals, schools, cafes, clubs, snack bars, hotels, pubs and bars. Officials also found some premises "listed as inspected in 1993 and which should have had 10 inspections since the last one listed."

The report claims that problems facing the food inspection service have still not been tackled. "Officials could find no evidence that Westminster had yet carried out a full analysis of the resources needed to run an effective service. The council will not be able to do this until it has ensured it had a full and accurate database."

Inspectors are critical of the level of staff training. "Officials were told that all environmental health officers had a professional qualification. However, in the training and personnel records examined no evidence was found of their qualifications, or of their Environmental Health Officer Registration Board certification."

The report also criticises poor record-keeping and the lack of a proper strategy to deal with premises which failed inspections. The council and Department of Health officials will now work together to try to make the service efficient.

The council says that all 1,174 premises which have not been inspected will be visited by the end of this month.

In a statement it said it had taken effective action to remedy problems with the food inspection service. As a top priority "the entire service has been reorganised to ensure the delivery of its inspection programme".