DoH: Hospital food is a priority
Third of patients unhappy with food
Monday, 17, Dec 2007 12:00
The government has insisted good hospital food is a priority issue after a survey found a third of recent patients were unhappy with their meals.
A Which? survey of 1,000 recent patients found at least a quarter had been forced to bring in their own food, while one in five hospital staff said they would not eat the meals offered to patients.
A Department of Health (DoH) spokesperson today insisted trusts should be taking their responsibilities on hospital food seriously.
The government has already produced guidelines on nutritional standards for the NHS and is now investigating how these can be more fully implemented.
The DoH spokesperson added: "As part of the Department of Health's Dignity in Care campaign, NHS Trusts (as well as care homes) across the country are putting in place schemes to ensure people do not become malnourished in hospital through a lack of assistance with eating and drinking, in line with best practice issued on the mealtime experience.
"These include introducing protected mealtimes and "red tray" systems for people who are at risk of malnutrition."
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