Only half of England’s hospitals serve patients meals made by their own cooks, a report has revealed.
More and more NHS trusts are closing kitchens and buying in food from outside caterers to save money, Unison claims in a survey of 700 UK hospitals.
The union also found half those in England have no healthy eating policies which are mandatory in Scotland and Wales.
The revelations have increased concerns that vulnerable patients, especially the old, risk malnutrition in hospital.
Alex Jackson, of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said: “There is growing support for mandatory standards for hospital food in England.
"This report also shows that hospital caterers believe they would significantly improve the quality of the meals they serve to patients.”
Unison spokeswoman Sian Rabi-Laleh added: “England is behind in terms of the food it serves to patients.
“We want the Government to set mandatory standards for hospital food to ensure more meals are freshly cooked on site and to protect hospital kitchens and jobs.”
7 December 2013
The Mirror
Better Hospital Food: The campaign represents a coalition of organisations calling on the Westminster government to introduce mandatory nutritional, environmental and ethical standards for food served to patients in NHS hospitals in England.
