Health Minister joins top chef to taste-test hospital food UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 14 Apr 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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Health Minister, Lord Warner joined forces with celebrity chef, Lloyd Grossman, today, to choose which dishes should appear on hospital menus across England as part of the Better Hospital Food programme.

Lord Warner and Lloyd Grossman will be part of a panel of culinary experts and patient representatives checking that meals - ranging from sweet and sour chicken to Lancashire hotpot - are of a high enough standard to be served to patients.

Lord Warner said:

"Better and varied hospital food is a key part of improving the patient experience. We have seen real progress in the quality of hospital meals as a result of the Better Hospital Food programme. Loyd Grossman has played a big role in this. Today's event is another milestone in ensuring that good food is one of the hallmarks of a good NHS hospital".

Lloyd Grossman said:

"Since the launch of the Better Hospital Food programme, we have been working hard with the manufacturers of delivered meals to ensure both the quality and consistency of their products. Ensuring patient nutrition is a crucial component of healthcare, and making sure the food provided looks and tastes good is an important part of the process. Today's event is an excellent opportunity to check that the standards we

require from hospital food are being achieved and maintained".

Notes to editor

1. The NHS currently spends around £500m each year on food, and the scale of its catering services is enormous. Over 300 million meals are served each year, in more than 300 NHS Trusts across approximately 1,200 hospitals.

2. The event took place at St Thomas' Hospital, London.

3. For Media enquiries please contact :

Contact Press Officer

Phone Vicky Wyatt
020 7210 5656

From the Department of Health, UK.

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