Hot meals still frozen inside, dishes solidified and stuck to the plate like glue, inadequate vegetarian choices, poor food allergy knowledge, one-in-four patients relying on relatives to bring them foods they find palatable – just some of the facts reported by a 1,000 patient survey carried out by consumer charity Which?
Approximately 38% of patients said meals did not coincide with their appetites – in other words, when they were hungry meals did not come, and when meals came they were not hungry.
According to the new report, approximately one third of British hospital patients are dissatisfied with hospital food. One fifth of hospital staff confessed they would not eat what patients eat.
In fact, if you look at the previous Which? Report on hospital foods, not much has changed. Those involved in preparing the report noted that several patients were reluctant to criticize hospital foods as they were concerned it might affect the care they were receiving.
Clare Corbett, Which?, said “There are some examples of good practice but a third of patients said they weren’t given the food they needed to get better. The Food Standards Agency has brought out some nutritional guidelines, but they are only guidelines, and the vital thing is the Department of Health needs to make sure they are actually implemented. Food is an essential aspect of making sure patients get better. We really need hospitals to act as beacons for healthy living and good nutrition.”
Written by – Christian Nordqvist