Hospital and union in food fight over menu
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Hospital bosses are facing questions
patients at Royal Preston and Chorley hospitals are being offered lighter options for their evening meal.
Menus have been changed to offer lighter dishes instead of a full hot main course – with bosses saying this is what patients want.
Unions have criticised the move, claiming cost-cutting is the true motive.
But hospital bosses say the new menu costs the same as the old one to produce, and the change was not about saving money, but responding to patient feedback.
Alan Burton, assistant branch secretary at UNISON central Lancashire, said: “UNISON believes the real driver is the need for the trust to make significant savings.
“We accept some patients may not want a three-course evening meal with a hot main course, but the option should be there for those who want it.
“Patients who are admitted to hospital late in the afternoon may want a hot meal, and good nourishment is essential for people who are recovering from operations. Preston hospital introduced lighter meals in the evenings around 17 years ago.
“But it was discovered some patients were unhappy with this, so they went back to having a hot meal at night.
“Now the same thing is happening all over again.”
One patient, who did not wish to be named, said: “Patients now have a choice of sandwiches or a poorly presented baked potato as ‘tea’.
“I feel this is not aiding patients well-being and for the sake of a few pence per meal, I would like to see things return to as they were, and for patients to receive a hot meal in the evening, as most people at home would.”
Miles Timperley, director of facilities and services at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, said: “Good nutrition is an important factor in recovering from illness, and our menus are assessed by a dietician to ensure nutritional balance.
“We regularly consult with our patients about our meals, and change the menus in response to their feedback.
“In the summer, we surveyed patients about hospital food, and have re-designed the menu based on their comments.
“We asked a further 250 patients for their views about the new menu, and 84% agreed that they would prefer one hot main dish at lunchtime, with a lighter option later in the day.
“Patients also said this better reflected their eating patterns at home.
“We spend £7.80 on meals for every patient every day and use as many fresh and local ingredients as possible, while ensuring we provide the best possible value for money.”
LUNCH
STARTERS
Orange juice; Home made mushroom & parsley soup
MAIN COURSE
Corned beef hash; White fish in tomato sauce
SWEETS
Apple & blackcurrant crumble; Custard
SUPPER
STARTERS
Home made split pea soup
MAIN COURSE
Jacket potato and chilli lamb; Turkey and stuffing sandwich; Tuna mayonnaise sandwich
SWEETS
Ice cream; Low fat yoghurt; Yoghurt
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Comments
There are 12 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Preston lass
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 10:57 AMWhat about carrots, brocolli, fresh fruit...
cannonCMR
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 10:38 AMWhat about the better hospital food programme which if memory serves me correct LTH had a leading role in the NW region, in the government program of changefood imporovement - BHF - Lloyd Grossman fronted the project nationally. BHF clearly states that the main meal should be served in an evening, justification was given, the exception being older people. Older people digest food better at lunch time. Have LTH opted out of BHF, can they opt out? Or are they just doing their own thing? Either way, just think how much money was spent developing BHF??
Lancsmissus
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 04:23 PMAs a recent patient i can safely say the menu is much more extensive than the version in the paper there is about 5 options at lunch and soup and salad for tea if you don't want carbs what more choice do you need #8? And the menus at chorley and preston are the same it is the one hospital trust.
Lancsmissus
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 04:18 PMWho eats a hot 3 course meal twice a day?! You are hardly working up an appetite if you are in hospital all day. Or would you rather the hospital spent all the budget on providing much more choice than anyone would reasonably have at home at the expense of healthcare? The hospital already caters for all sorts of dietary requirements like low fat, soft, fortified and the like without having to shell out for people's individual whims! If you don't like bread #1 order something else!
man looney
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 04:13 PMSurely the objective should be to give patients choice. Either a proper hot meal or a "lighter" choice. Not to impose. Last time I was in the RPH I spent 4 days nil by mouth. So when I got a re-occurrence of my gut problems I went to Chorley. At least there they did try to feed me. But not with sandwiches or other hi carb rubbish.
Maw
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 04:00 PMRPH asked 250 patients what they wanted and 84% said they wanted a lighter evening meal - so what is the union's problem the hospital is giving folk what they want!
rollingmac
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 03:12 PMHaving recently spent 14 months in RPH I found the meals adequate, having said that, two three course meals in a day was too much. I tended to check the days menu, if the hot meal was something I liked at lunch I would opt for that, if not, I would opt for a sandwich, and have a hot meal at night otherwise it would be a sandwich. Once again it boils down to personal choice and I feel that this is a cost cutting exercise as catering staff wouldn't be needed after lunch having made the sandwiches in a mornning. Taking it one step further, said sandwiches could then be delivered with the hot lunch, lo and behold even more job cuts.
realworldman
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 02:27 PMWhy change what has been accepted as successful and critic free. In the time I have spent in the RPH the food has been just fine.
Pedantic Poster
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 02:24 PM#2, but if they do the survey in winter,theyd get the opposite result, with noone wanting cold meals. easiest way to keep both camps happy is to either do as you say and have a full menu (although this costs more as more stock has to be kept), or to have a summer and a winter menu.
wendywoo07
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 02:23 PMGlad i don't have to go into hospital soon.... In the past i actually enjoyed the meals...apart from visitors, it was something to look forward and enjoy.. People should be given an choice..
lou31
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 11:05 AMwhy do the survey in the summer ....... I THINK ITS WRONG you should be able to choose from a full menu people are sensible enough to choose .... when your at home most people have soup and sandwich at lunchiome and a main meal at teatime .
man looney
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 10:43 AMGood grief, I hope I don't end up in hospital, I will be having to send out for food. What do they do for patients who do not eat bread. A cold sandwich would make me ill. Meat and veg please. Nothing with sugar so forget your crumbles and custard etc. Most people i know eat a proper dinner, not "tea"
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