New hospital food rules introduced

[Northerner]

Hospitals in England will be expected to provide a higher standard of food under new legally-binding rules.

They include a focus on quality, choice and promoting a healthy diet for patients and staff. Hospitals will also be ranked on the meals they prepare.

However, the Campaign for Better Hospital Food says the new standards do not go far enough and should be enshrined in law.

Labour warned the rules could be ignored "without proper enforcement".

The chairman of charity of Age UK, Dianne Jeffrey, has been working with the Department of Health to produce the new NHS standards.

She said "hospitals are not five-star restaurants," but meals were an important part of a patient's recovery.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-28966949

It's all about money. When I was in hospital at diagnosis the food was really good, but subsequently the contract was changed and the hospital gained a reputation for some of the worst My experience showed it CAN be done if corners aren't cut. More short-termism

 

[robert@fm]

When I was in hospital back in February, I caught three episodes of James Martin's third series of Operation Hospital Food. (I missed the last two due to being discharged, but them caught all five on IPlayer.) I was very impressed by the way he showed how good-quality food could be produced within tight NHS budgets, including serving the same food in the restaurant as on the wards ("if it's not good enough for the staff, it's not good enough for the patients") and feeding the restaurant profits back into the food budget. It was particularly impressive how he introduced to the children's ward, versions of child favourites such as pizza and burgers which would keep the kids happy whilst surviving the rigours of the hospital-ward catering system (especially difficult for pizza) and not giving the nutritionists kittens. 🙂

My major gripe about hospital foods is that the breakfasts are always carb-laden. Cereals, toast, jam and marmalade... sometimes leading to my being offered a limited choice or amount, because the serving person believes the myth of D requiring a sugar-free diet.

 

[Bloden]

Breakfast was the worst in my local (Spanish) hozzie - 4 Marie biscuits with margarine, and decaf. By the time lunch arrived I was staaarving! Lunch and dinner were very good.🙂