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3rd October 2006: Dreadful hospital food

hmmm

Saw the urology team briefly this morning - the operation will be sometime tomorrow. I was asking about a possible cause for the blocked tubes and one plausible explanation offered was that is may be due to the amount of inactivity (due to my HSP) and the length of time I spend sat in front of my computer. Not that I told them just how many hours a week I spent, which is generally over a hundred!

I never thought about it while they were here but just before all this started I pulled some muscles in my back and was in agony with it for three weeks. Hmmm!

Fed up with the poor meals here. I finally got to see ISS canteen manager after complaining to the dietician

[cf article in Liverpool Echo]

One day, weeks earlier, they had a 'menu change' so they substitute as they see fit. I'd requested chicken and gravy but they run out of this and gave me fish instead. Fish that was absolutely full of bones. Oh aye, and gravy. I'd ticked gravy, they had plenty of gravy, so they poured it all over the fish. I kicked up a fuss and hauled a manager up from the kitchens. Now - and I swear this is true - his answer was, and I quote:
You've touched this, we can't give it to anyone else now!
He absolutely could not see an issue with pouring gravy over boiled fish!

Anyway, I raised several issues, the most contentious being:

The reheated meals (prepared 2 days earlier) are often too dry and dehydrated to swallow - especially if your throat happens to be raw from theatre.
Resolution
Due to the high level of complaints their current supplier has lost the contract (non renewal) and they are talking to other outside caterers.
The catering menu and system does not allow you to choose 2 vegetables with a meal, thus stopping you having a healthy '5 a day' diet, slowing up the recovery process.
Resolution
Point accepted. This will be raised in the next meeting.
The gravy and fish incident, mentioned above.
Resolution
The manager was mortified! As it was a known 'menu change' it is trackable and she will have a quiet word with the idiot(s) responsible.
Of an evening I am unable to get a sandwich to settle my stomach… (The high urea in my blood, amongst other things, makes me very nauseous by mid to late evening and these help settle it)
… from a kitchen catering for 1,200 patients
Resolution
i. The dietician has written me up for an extra sandwich with the evening meal
ii. It is a communication issue. Basically the nursing staff aren't (all) aware that last orders is 8pm and by 8.30pm all the canteen staff have gone home.

Comment

I am not a fussy eater by anyone's imagination but the meals at the Royal are simply dreadful. Those at Whiston were great. I guess it varies from Trust to Trust. The Royal is proud that they spend a whopping £1.37 a day per person! Budgets aside, we are talking a little loose change to cover breakfast, dinner, evening meal and mid day drinks. That wouldn't buy you a coffee in most cafes!
I never made a note of it at the time but some hospitals spend as little as 67p a day on patient food!