Hospitals give THEMSELVES top marks for food

Three-out-of-five-hospitals-have-rated-the-food-they-serve-to-patients-as-5-5 Three out of five hospitals have rated the food they serve to patients as 5/5.

Three out of five hospitals give themselves the highest possible rating for the standard of their food, figures show.

95 out of 156 NHS hospital trusts in England rated the meals they serves to patients as 5/5.

The figure is certain to surprise many people as poor food is consistently listed as a main criticism of NHS hospitals.

The Campaign for Better Hospital Food say the figures are dramatically different to those of an independent Care Quality Commission survey which showed that half of patients are dissatisfied with hospital food.

Alex Jackson, co-ordinator of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said: "It is time for the Government to come clean about the sorry state of hospital food in England and set mandatory standards for patient meals.

"This would only involve extending an existing policy which has seen it set mandatory standards for prison food and food served in Government departments, to go alongside those that already exist for school food.

"Surely patients recovering in hospital have the same right to good food as Government ministers, school kids and prisoners?"

Hospital food has long been criticised with many patients asking family and friends to bring in food or ordering in take-aways. A typical lunch or supper dish at NHS hospitals will be a steam cooked microwave meal.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "There are many fantastic examples of really good food across the NHS thanks to forward-thinking and innovative staff. But we recognise that there is too much variation across the country - that is why we have implemented a tough new inspection programme.

"With our army of thousands of patient assessors we will drive up standards and reduce variation in hospital food.

Monday 26 August 2013
Daily Express