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Hospital food under fire

17/12/2007

A third of people who have recently been in hospital were unhappy with the quality of food they received, a new survey has revealed.

This led to one quarter of patients feeling compelled to buy their own food or to ask friends and family to bring food in.

Even healthcare workers appear to regard hospital food as poor, with the survey conducted by consumer watchdog Which? finding that one in five members of staff would not eat the food given to patients.

A total of 1,000 patients and 250 healthcare workers were surveyed by Which?

Problems expressed include the portions being too small; the type of food provided; and the timing of meals.

Which? health campaigner Claire Corbett said some patients with serious concerns "don't speak out because they don't think it'll change anything, or they're afraid it might compromise their care".

"Our research provides yet more evidence that patients and NHS staff are unhappy with hospital food. So why isn't it getting any better?" she asked.

"To put a stop to the hunger on our wards, hospitals must do more to encourage patients to give feedback, and act on what they say."

Which? claims that hospital food has hardly changed over the past few years and is calling for an emphasis to be placed on improving customer service in NHS hospitals.

The Department of Health (DoH) said hospital food has improved greatly but it recognises more needs to be done.

"Good food is important for all patients and the DoH has recognised this as a priority issue," a spokesperson said.

"We expect every trust to take their responsibilities on hospital food seriously and to make sure that hospitals meet the standards that patients rightly expect."