to think that meals in hospital shouldn't be free?

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It just seems a bit strange. You'd have to pay for it if you were at home. The cost of feeding hospital patients must be astronomical, and the food (in my quite extensive experience) is pretty crappy. Cheap, badly cooked, and in many cases unsuitable for specific dietry requirements.

Wouldn't most people be happy to pay for their meals, and in return expect to be served appealing, healthy food?

Obviously patients in for extended periods or those on benefits should be offered a free/heavily subsidised option.

It would require some investment to completely change the system - but surely it would save millions in the long-run?

What do you think?

I'm not thinking of people who refuse to pay.I'm thinking of people who can't pay.

It's such a basic right and a basic part of healthcare that it seems insane to me to start to charge patients for it.

And as others have mentioned paying for food at home is not equivalent to paying for three catered meals a day outside of the home.

but you can pay because you are saving money by not supplying youself with food to eat at home.

How are they saving money if they're paying for hospital food?

It's usually far cheaper to eat at home than it is to dine out.

But it is often as expensive to produce horrible meals as it is nice ones, so money is a bit of a red herring in respect of food quality.

What price do you think is reasonable, out of interest?

I know.It's crazy.You have to say the food is for you don't you?,in order to be allowed to heat it.

but your not saving money, you go out and do the weekly shop then on the way home have a car crash and stay in hospital fo ra week.

you have spent the weekly budget on food and then have to pay for hospital food.

or dh goes in to hospital and i still have to eat at home, so am not saving money as meals are still being made at home

how much does one day's meals cost at home? About £4 ish?

If a person is in hospital that is not spending £4 so it seems perfectly reasonable to expect them to pay for whatever they eat in hospital. whether per meal or per day. Average amount spent on one person's hospital food? about £1.50.

Factor in how much gas/electricity for 3 meals and 6 hot drinks a day?

Charge everyone £2.50. Save the NHS bags of cash. Patient actually spends less than normal on food. Everyone's a winner.

if your DH is in hospital why are you still cooking for him at home? surely you'd cook less?

What about loss of earnings from being in hospital?

Hardly saving money

Is is only me that thinks its really funny that people are comparing eating in hosp with "dining out"

it is bad enough having to pay to sit with a dieing relative - let alone charge for the friging food they eat

OK (I'm being somewhat facetious about this but...)

Why should it be free?

As others have mentioned there are enough expenses occured while one or a family member is in hospital.

Food is as vital a part of recovery as medication.

See above.

It's a basic need and a very important part of health care and recovery.

I really don't know what would be a reasonable amount - haven't really thought it throught that much. I guess less than a fiver a day for 3 meals - so a contribution more than a complete payment.

I've done lots of time in hospital myself, as has my mum. This idea comes from personal experience. I also know that Riven's experience is really not that unusual - it's a disgrace.

but the quality of it isn't doing it's purpose. mass produced, crap quality, rubbish.

and is food healthcare? would a vitamin pill not be the healthcare bit?

if food is part of healthcare then are facilities for washing? blankets to keep warm? someone to help you move around? healthcare or social care? it all getsa bit blurred.

I think it is an awful idea. Really, just...awful. I might have to use my first ever

That will be 50p, by the way

I spent 7 weeks in hospital 30 miles from home last summer after spinal surgery went wrong, I had meningitis and a major spinal fluid leak so I was in a bad way.

It was a battle to eat as I felt so ill and I felt so guilty for not being able to be with my children. If I had to pay for food I would have felt I was taking money from the household income that was already stretched by me not being at work and them needing care, as well as for dh to visit me a couple of times a week.

The whole admin on the process would be daft too.

I'm arguing for the sake of it really. I don't think I know the answer at all.

It is a disgrace that hospital food is crap.

It is a disgrace that people don't get the special diets they need.

It is a disgrace that people who can't feed themselves are often rushed or not fed at all because of staff shortages.

It is also a pain in the arse to have people nagging and moaning about the fact that they wanted lasagne but have been given shepherds pie when it is free and you have 10,000 other crisis points in your working day.

And NHS plate cost is approx £1.60 per meal, so at a fiver a day, you'd start looking at a profit, and it wouldn't take long for that to be taken further...

can you iagne the hassle nurses would have to endure if they had to bill patients for food? and the extra paperwork?

No - it isn't worth it.

I've changed my mind YABU.

it isn't free though is it? you pay NI contributions and then want to charge on top of this.

NI contribution were brought in top pay for hosptial NHS and included within that service is food, toilets, lights, bedding, washing, gowns, theatre equipent

Would you want to scrap NI contributions and just have private medical care - where of course you pay for walking sticks and food phone calls to your bed and other "extra" items. Although of course private patients get visitor parking included in the package and it isn't an added extra