PLYMOUTH, England — Staff and patients at Derriford Hospital have been banned from ordering pizza deliveries from a new onsite restaurant.
Pizza Hut has opened in one of the units in the new multi-storey car park, but health bosses have sent a message to all staff saying nobody is allowed to have pizzas delivered into the hospital.
They say it has been agreed with Pizza Hut themselves and developers Wharfside – a claim the restaurant chiefs reject.
Pizza Hut franchisee Simon Wright said the claims have been "fabricated". He said: "A large part of our business comes from the hospital and I don't know where this [the claims] has come from."
The new delivery and takeaway store has opened in one of the new units at the hospital's multi-storey car park.
It is the first food store to open, with a Subway also set to follow.
The first floor of the building is home to NHS offices while the pizza shop has taken over Unit D, one of several ground-floor retail units built by Wharfside Regeneration.
The new shop is owned by Simon Wright, who has worked in the business since 2001.
He said: "I don't know if this has come from the trust or someone internally off their own back. Maybe someone is not happy with us delivering within the hospital?
"In other parts of the UK it is no problem whatsoever and the business is essential."
In the weekly staff newsletter shown to The Herald it is written: 'The Trust has agreed with Pizza Hut and Wharfside that deliveries by Pizza Hut into the hospital will not be allowed. Please ensure this message is passed on to both staff and patients."
But Mr Wright said there was no agreement. He said: "We have been trying to contact the lady who wrote the newsletter with no success and find out what it's all about.
"There is definitely no agreement and I believe somebody at the hospital has been misled."