Hospital food, again

[ailbhe]

A friend's toddler is in hospital far, far away from me, and over the course of two brief hospital stays in the paediatric wards, they've discovered this about the food:

Parents staying with their infants and toddlers are not catered for at all. There are vending machines selling crisps and chocolate, and a gift shop selling boxes of chocolates and biscuits. There is a kitchen with facilities for making tea, coffee, and glasses of tap water.

In January, the mother asked for some fresh fruit for her recuperating toddler, instead of the "stodgy pie thing & custard" normally provided as the last course in a meal. She was told that the hospital did not provide fresh food, but one of the nurses gave her some fruit from her own lunchbox. She was also given a low-fat yoghurt to feed her one-year-old, and although she asked for a full-fat one, they were unable to provide it.

This visit, her toddler was aslepp at lunchtime, so her lunch was given to another child's parent. when she woke hungry, a nurse gave made her some toast, and gave her a low-fat yoghurt, and a banana one of the staff had brought in for their own lunch.

She has heard a rumour that there's a cafe in the hospital but was unable to discover where it was while she was in there, in spite of asking.

And what was this toddler supposed to be recovering from?

Some unidentified gastric disorder.

That's right, never mind coping with mere intolerances, they can't find palatable food for people who are in hospital specifically for a tummy upset. The child wasn't put on a special diet of any kind, there was no medical recommendation to avoid any foods, but I know from experience that making a pukey baby eat isn't easy even when you have a whole houseful of favourite, nutritious, non-irritating foods.

When I was a sick child, my mother fed me meals on trays, with pretty crockery, and usually a piece of fruit fanned out in wedges to look like a flower. Light, attractive, palatable meals of fresh ingredients.

There has got to be a way to get this into hospitals without bankrupting anyone.

I'd love to hear a report of food in a private hospital in the UK, because I know Dublin and Galway hospital food isn't much better, though I think Cork might be generally ok (I haven't heard complaints, at least).

Comments

[scarletts-web.livejournal.com]

Last time A was in, I was lucky enough to find the hospital general shop, and after taking out a second mortgage I managed to purchase fruit. Elderly looking fruit, but still more nutritious than the rubber toast, slop pie and hairy jelly she'd been offered. I hope your friends toddler is home safe soon.

[barakta]

My partner was in a private hospital for her cholecystectomy in early 2005. I think the food was a bit better, but as she was not inclined to eat (she very strongly prefers to eat only food she has prepared herself). However I did note that the catering people were much much more flexible - so when my partner asked for one drink and found she couldn't drink it post-op they replaced it with something else (one was orange the other was milk, I can't remember which way round it was) without fuss, in fact the catering lady was really sweet and nice.

I think you can order better out-of-hours food in a private hospital which is half the issue because normal hospital meal times are bloody weird. Apparently if you are a ProperPrivatePatient(tm) then they will go out of their way to cater for wants, needs diets and otherwise. They are too used to being shouted at by people who have paid a lot of money for the service.

When I was in orthopaedic rehab in an NHS hospital there was fruit of apparent freshness put out every morning next to the patients kettle, basic apples, oranges and bananas alongside small packets of biscuits. This was a ward for people staying 3 weeks or more, so patients were asked to contribute a quid per week for whatever they wanted. I had bananas for breakfast cos I couldn't eat the rubbery toast and valued an extra hour in bed. There was no other fresh fruit or veg provided at meals (reheated freezer veg yummy-not).

The canteen food was as bad as the hospital food, and as someone has commented what hospital shops do sell decent fresh stff, do so at an extortionate rate.

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

I think that it's a matter of priorities. I think that the average hospital must not prioritize its food service. I've never worked in a hospital, but I've worked at all levels of food service for a couple of decades.

The average hospital seems to be focused on providing food at the lowest cost. One of the easiest ways to provide food at low cost is to make a lot of it in one kitchen, and distribute it throughout. Another way of making the food cheap is to make as little variety as possible. The more foods-stock in the kitchen, the higher the food cost.

If patients don't eat the food, it is no skin off the hospitals' nose. Ditto, if relatives and friends bring food in. I have no idea how one would pressure the hospital system into making the provision of fresh, appealing and healthy food a priority, though I can easily imagine how it might be done: a staff of professional chefs instead of "dieticians", decentralized kitchens (imagine a kitchen per/hospital unit, say, pediatrics, with a chef who would specialize in cooking for young, sick kids), and, of course, and increased budget for the above.

[cangetmad.livejournal.com]

Except, of course, that it's plenty of skin off the hospital's nose if the patient recovers more slowly because of poor nutrition - they do say that about a third of elderly patients are malnourished, mostly because they don't get helped to eat. I imagine this is less true for small kids because they usually have parents struggling to compensate, but still. What on earth is stopping them from having fruit bowls in the ward kitchen? That would cost only the price of the fruit, and if it were the only free on-tap food available, I bet it would buy itself back in patient outcomes.

[(Anonymous)]

http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,1876872,00.html

In particular, starting with the paragraph "The story of the rise and fall of free hospital food in Britain"

[naath.livejournal.com]

My mum was in a private hospital for a very minor operation on her foot. The food was much better than NHS hospital food and furthermore they would sell food to visitors. Also, from what the bumf said, I gather that they could be very flexible about what food you got if you asked.

Hospital food

[(Anonymous)]

Wonder if it isn't something Jamie Oliver couldn't get sorted!!

[astrogeek.livejournal.com]

When my mum was in a private hospital for a knee op (5 year waiting list for NHS) they had a full restaurant style menu you could order off any time between 7am and 9pm. And you could order a meal for your visitors too. Of course, you had to pay full restaurant prices though - it came itemised on the bill, like you'd get if you ordered room service in a hotel.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

I've found hospital food at the BUPA Roding hospital very good indeed; both orangebird and I have had operations there. Mind you, it was also very good at Chelsea & Westminster and at King George (both NHS hospitals) when I was having my babies, but that was quite a few years ago now.

[alison.hemuk.myopenid.com (from livejournal.com)]

My mum had her hysterectomy done privately, and the food was superb. And served by waiting staff in bow ties. And they would get you or your visitors more food whenever you wanted.

There was an article about hospital food in the Observer just after your last post about it - http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,1876742,00.html
They've disbanded the group (which included Loyd Grossman and a load of chefs) which was supposed to improve matters.

[(Anonymous)]

Lol, sorry, missed the link above the first time I read these comments, and have just realised it goes to the same story!

[nicolechan.livejournal.com]

Wow, I thought hospital food here was pretty bad. Compared to everything you have mentioned about hospital food there, ours sounds gourmet. We get a well balanced meal, including fresh fruit and vegetables. If one has any allergies to any items, they will substitute. Even if you just simply don't like the whole menu, you can call in ahead and order from a list of 5 different alternatives.

[supermouse.livejournal.com]

I was in Rochdale hospital overnight and the food I got was fresh, nutritious and there was a choice. I was very impressed. Not gourmet, but I could easily get the fat and protein I wanted, or I could have had high fibre or vegetarian or low carb/low fat or anything.

The Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham has fantastic food.

[livi-short.livejournal.com]

Today i went with Sue to the Rochdale hospital while she had a minor op. I'm pleased to say that the hospital staff were very friendly and while Sue was having the operation they offered me a cup of tea and gave me directions for where the nearest place for me to get food.

The hospital has a subsidized canteen that has nice food at good prices but i went to the small coffee shop near the day surgery unit that sold very nice sandwiches. I got a chicken and mayo sandwich in swedish bread (like a graham cracker but fluffy) which cost 1.20 and a coffee flapjack for 80 pence.

Also i agree about the other comments regarding private hospital food. When i stayed at Rochdale's BUPA hospital the coffee was fresh ground and was served with very nice biscuits and the choice of sandwiches was excellent, i chose smoked salmon and cucumber on rye.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

My mother is one of the fussiest eaters alive - in terms of what she will eat. She also has a severe food allergy. However, she assures me that the food in Frimley Park Hospital is fantastic. My parents will actually go there specifically to eat in the hospital restaurant (!!).

Yeah, I don't believe it, either.

You already know about my experiences with Kingston Hospital - their complete inability to find very low-fat food for someone with a gall bladder problem without even starting on me being vegan :/ Really don't want to go through it again. Meh.