The Campaign for Better Hospital Food claims that the NHS is
deliberately hiding patient’s food dissatisfaction records in a ploy to conceal
the truth!
The campaigners have been criticising the NHS, declaring
that patient surveys have proven contradictory to statistics that the NHS have displayed.
They say that over 98% of those admitted to hospital are happy with their
food, this is greatly juxtaposed against research illustrating that around 50%
are greatly unhappy with what food they are presented with. This suggests there
may be some food for thought when it comes to the Government and the notion of
honesty.
It is a well-known factor that amongst many fears of being
admitted to hospital lays the dread of the inedible. Being in the 21st
Century we would have thought that we had come further than sloppy shepherd’s
pie followed by jelly and ice-cream. With many celebrity chefs such as James
Martin drawing up weekly meal plans for hospitals, addressing the need for
change we were under the impression that changes had been made. However, we
were greatly mistaken.
Following the recent horse meat scandal, society as a whole
is becoming more sceptical about food brilliance. ‘Twenty years of hospital food failure’ is the title of a report, generating support from chefs such as
Lloyd Grossman, Albert Roux, John Benson-Smith, Mark Hix, Anton Edelmann and
Heston Blumenthal. These culinary pioneers formed a coalition, an army with an agenda
to improve hospital meals. Unfortunately their efforts were not supported effectively
due a “lack of political will” according to Loyd Grossman.
Alex Jackson, co-ordinator of The Campaign for Better
Hospital Food, feels that mandatory standards are required throughout this
health sector. This measuring of quality would see patient satisfaction figures on the rise. Establishments such as Schools and Prisons employ this criteria,
so why shouldn’t the Hospitals? In 2009 researchers found that standards in UK prisons
beat food in hospital.
"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” says Alex Jackson.
These Campaigners have claimed that the UK government has
wasted more than £54m of taxpayers' money since 1992 in an attempt to recover
the standards of hospital food. When people are ill they can be really selective in regards to what they
want to eat and even if they want to eat at all. Chaat! has constructed some enticing suggestions for hospital chefs
in an attempt to satisfy!
Three Tips for the NHS:
- Add a bit of spice to hospital meals. Chilli releases endorphins that make you feel energised. This could give the patient the kick start they needed to start on the journey back to recovery.
- Serve fresh and local produce, this is what the people want!
- Cook up a curried soup! On the road to recovery we always need a hot bowl of soup. However, we do not want the same old tinned rubbish, a bit of spice is always nice!
Please share your thoughts with us on this!
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