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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Hospital food: AIBU?

174 replies

IrenetheQuaint · 18/12/2016 20:57

My 75-year-old father is in hospital - one of the best hospitals in the country - with unexplained breathing difficulties. He is not at all fussy and will generally eat anything put in front of him... but he finds the hospital food disgusting to the point of being almost inedible. I was briefly in the same hospital 15 years ago and found the same thing.

There are a few shops and cafes in the entrance bit but he is on oxygen and can't get to them. Fortunately my brother lives nearby and has managed to bring him some food in (I live 2 hours away and have a stinking cold so can't get there myself). But what about people who have no families nearby, or who can't afford to go to M&S etc two or three times a day?

How can the medical care be so good but the food so bad? If airlines can supply basic but perfectly edible food in complicated circumstances then why can't hospitals?? Good healthy food is an essential part of recovery from illness... it's appalling that the NHS can't supply this (or at least, not at this large and internationally respected hospital).

I know it costs money, but couldn't they bring in a scheme where patients contributed to food costs, with subsidies for those who can't afford it. Even a voluntary donation of £5 per person per day would surely enable a massive improvement in the service? I can't believe other Western countries are so rubbish in this respect?

OP posts:
maggiso · 18/12/2016 22:17

When I was in hospital I enjoyed the food ( well once I was well enough to eat) but I think that was partly the effects of one of the medications - made me hungry(and most was mushy enough to eat without effort)! I loved visiters bringing me cups of tea, as one cup a day is not enough for me! However I would agree that generally hospital food is not always good enough to be tempting - as food for the sick needs to be. My father was in hospital recently (also a very good hospital medically) and found the food mostly unappetising - too much pepper in the egg sandwich, soggy veg, etc. He was kept in unexpectedly longer and got nothing for lunch or tea - so thank heavens for on site shops!

PinkSwimGoggles · 18/12/2016 22:17

but if cooked food is so variable (in want of a better term) can't they just serve sandwiches instead?

Original poster
IrenetheQuaint · 18/12/2016 22:20

"system they use is called cook chill, basically they buy food in form large commercial kitchens, some as far away as Wales . It is chilled to just above freezing point, then re heated"

Yes, I get this, but my father is perfectly happy to eat a Tesco ready meal (rather him than me, but hey) so I'm wondering why the food is so much worse than that?

OP posts:
OhtoblazeswithElvira · 18/12/2016 22:22

Snuffster when I was in hospital with hyperemesis I was expected to get up and go to the canteen and the end of the corridor to eat my meals. Meals were not served in the ward. I was on an alarmed drip plugged to the wall, severely dehydrated and could only manage a couple of steps, but the nurses couldn't see the problem.

Between that and being zonked out with the medication I missed so many meals - some of the nurses weren't bothered. Others actually cared and broke the rules (some rules Hmm) to bring me a banana or toast or some cold mashed potato to bed where I would eat it over a few hours... ah the memories!

I changed hospitals pretty fast after that.

user789653241 · 18/12/2016 22:22

I don't have much experience myself, but my ds stayed in local and huge London hospital many times.
Difference in quality and choice of food was huge. I think it's a lot to do with budget. But even local hospital wasn't too bad, boring, but edible.

iminshock · 18/12/2016 22:24

I've had lovely food in our local Scottish hospital

ThirdTimeLuck · 18/12/2016 22:25

YANBU, I managed to lose most of my baby weight in the 2 weeks after DS was born simply due to being readmitted for an infection. I didn't particularly feel like eating a lot but there were very few meals that I could actually bring myself to eat. One pasta dish stands out in my mind because it tasted like it had been rolled in sugar. Absolutely vile. I had relatives who could bring me food but a lot of people don't, I kept thinking about all the elderly patients who needed nutrition.

Oh and I also remember the warm fruit salad with the fizzy sensation. I'm not sure there's a good enough reason for rotten fruit being handed out on hospital wards. This was the same company who provide school meals at our local secondary, it's not as if they don't know what they should be doing!

ivykaty44 · 18/12/2016 22:26

In that case why not ask every patient to pay £1 or £2 a day each... surely everyone could afford that, and it would double or triple the budget!

Why have taxes been lowered on high earners when NHS is struggling.

Why tax the sick when the rich get thier taxes lowered

Some School children get free meals - should they pay one or two pounds towards food

MountainDweller · 18/12/2016 22:29

My friend was in hospital and ordered a jacket potato... It came with boiled potatoes on the side. Nothing else Hmm

I moved to Europe and have compulsory health insurance. I had eight surgeries in eight years and the food was fantastic every day! Glad I am getting my money's worth...

MatildaTheCat · 18/12/2016 22:32

From a financial point there are many people who could and would contribute to their food costs. However, taking into account the elderly, children and those on low incomes the numbers would be relatively small and the admin costs probably higher than the revenue.

No, the food needs to be improved. Some of these stories are shocking. Sick people need to be fed and fed reasonably well. I've seen many dishes that are actually impossible to decide what they are.

jacks11 · 18/12/2016 22:37

Hospital food isn't usually great, although it does vary in quality between hospitals so suggests some improvements could be made. Of course, it would be better if hospital food was good quality, varied and nutritious.

However, hospitals have to cater for all tastes which isn't easy in itself, and they must do so on a limited budget. The actual figure varies slightly, but last I heard it was usually less than £1.50 per patient per day for all 3 meals. Even allowing for economies of scale/bulk buying and so on, that's rather a limited budget to provide several healthy nutritious options at each mealtime.

I'd also point out that the healthy options aren't always the most popular, so it would be reasonable to assume "healthy" meals may not be appreciated by a substantial number of people.

mortificado · 18/12/2016 22:38

Hospital food is vile. I could of killed someone with the jacket potato I got given!
Can you give some "fresh soups" in they could heat up for him? That's what we are doing for my nan ATM when we can't get there for every visit.
Hope he gets better soon Flowers

Graphista · 18/12/2016 22:39

As a cost-cutting/bed blocking remedy it's self defeating though!

Patients don't get well if they're poorly nourished and/or not supported if they physically can't eat!

As a nurse in elderly care those many years ago I saw it frequently and I am hearing it hasn't changed much. As pp have said stroke victims having meals put out of reach or not fed when they haven't use of hands, confused patients erroneously choosing items they'd never eat or that are incompatible with other health issues they may have. Used to infuriate me our residents being admitted due to eg pneumonia or stroke or whatever and returning in worse health than they were when admitted (don't get me started on pressure care!)

LunaLoveg00d · 18/12/2016 22:41

I was just recently in a private hospital and the food was great - restaurant standard and freshly cooked on site. They were catering for far fewer patients though and had the budget for decent grub.

If you've ever seen the programmes James Martin does about hospital food, they have about £2 per patient for three meals a day. Lots of stuff is prepared off site and reheated to save money. There is waste and inefficiency.

Lots of other European countries charge about £10 per night to in patients for "board and lodging" but I don't think there's the appetite for for that sort of system here.

CaspoFungin · 18/12/2016 22:49

So in my hospital there is supposed to be "protective meal times" where doctors nurses etc don't do anything to patients that isn't needed and patients aren't meant to be sent for scans etc.

Also the kitchen staff are pretty crap though, people say in the morning oh I don't want to order anything and then just don't serve them anything all day! We have complained lots and lots.

CaspoFungin · 18/12/2016 22:50

Also have the problem that thEre isn't enough staff to feed everyone that needs feeding, or not enough staff to sit everyone up ready to eat etc.

ilovechocolates · 18/12/2016 22:52

The food I had when in hospital was good. Missed out on breakfast though due to being nil by mouth Sad

PossumInAPearTree · 18/12/2016 22:56

My advice is ask to see the allergy menu and order off that. Smaller quantities cooked so often better quality. Either that or go for the sandwich option. Even if not in the menu ask for a sandwich and fruit and it can normally be sorted.

RocketBaba · 18/12/2016 22:59

I spent just over a week in North Middlesex, I was very pleasantly surprised. Huge menu, daily orders taken, matched local pubs but with more choice. Fish and chips to salads, range of puddings... you'd grow fat in there!

Whips Cross (also NE London)... slop and queuing in corridors. I went off food slowly there. When my dd was in I was BF and struggled to get out but felt I should eat, I lived in crap. They'd also often omit meals, I remember begging friends and family to pop by.

The difference is awful between places

Man10 · 18/12/2016 22:59

I've always liked airline food.

Maybe the airline suppliers could deliver to hospitals?

Google says there was a company in Germany that delivered airline food to your home there, in 2014, but they appear to have gone out of business, for some reason.

brasty · 18/12/2016 23:02

When I have been in hospital, I am not getting paid as I am not at work. I always struggle financially to still pay my mortgage. I can't afford to pay other costs on top.
Also if hospital chiefs think they can charge for food, it would have to get a lot better everywhere.

Vinorosso74 · 18/12/2016 23:03

When I broke my arm and had a 3 night hospital stay the food was ok. Reasonable range, catered for various diets and you could choose portion size. I did discover the Asian veggie meals to be a good option.
Less than 3 years later at same hospital after I'd given birth I ordered an Asian veggie meal on the card, HCA muttered something about not appropriate when BF. Anyway mealtime came around and they hadn't ordered it clearly as she didn't approve of my choice! Was offered the Halal option which as a veggie wasn't appropriate and got something unidentifiable. I'm not particularly fussy as long as it's veggie but god it was rank.

StStrattersOfMN · 18/12/2016 23:04

The allergy menu was wrong, it had cheesecake down as gluten and dairy free.

It's been corrected now, I spent 2 days going through it with a fine tooth comb, marked up all the errors, put an official complaint in, couple of friends tweeted the CEO, and got Anaphylaxis UK to put the fear of God into him.

brasty · 18/12/2016 23:04

£10 a day is a lot since you are still paying your mortgage, I spend way less than £10 a day for my food at home.

PossumInAPearTree · 18/12/2016 23:06

I remember that Stratters, and the tomato pasta.