Hospitals Quizzed On Price Of Patients' Meals

Jan 6 2008 By Mark Aitken Political Editor

Exclusive Patients Suffer Postcode Lottery Over Cost Of Their Hospital Meals

THE Sunday Mail today exposes a shocking national lottery on hospital food.

The biggest spend on patient grub is £38.14 a day... the most meagre just £6.42 a day.

In a survey of all 16 Scots health boards we found the cheapest food is served in Highland hospitals at just £1.61 for a starter, main course and pudding.

At the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank each of the four meals a day costs an average of £9.54.

The figures come just weeks after a study found Scottish hospital food is so bad a quarter of patients buy their own or ask friends and families to bring in meals for them.

Dr Jean Turner, chief executive of Scotland Patients' Association, said: "I am horrified there is a such a difference in the cost of meals.

Many people admitted to hospital are under-nourished and they need good food in order to heal.

"I would like to see a big move towards producing food that comes from our own farmers, and is being cooked by professionals.

"Appetising, nutritional food helps people recover."

The NHS in Scotland spent £76million on catering in 2006-7, saving £3million on 2005-6.

This was the equivalent of £2.18 per patient per meal, compared with £2.25 the previous year. The second lowest spending on patient meals was in NHS Lothian where an average of £1.68 was spent on each patient meal.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spent the national average of £2.18 while NHS Grampian spent £2.11 and NHS Tayside £2.46.

NHS Orkney was the second highest at £4.68 per patient per meal, followed by NHS Western Isles at £4.11 per patient.

The Golden Jubilee's big food budget looks like a leftover from its days in the private sector - when rich sheikhs dined on five-star food.

It was later bought by the NHS to cut waiting lists all over Scotland. It said its policy of dishing up food on plates in the wards, rather than in the kitchens, was part of the reason their meals cost more.

A spokeswoman said: "All food is prepared by our catering department, with menu choices approved by our board's food, fluid and nutritional care unit."

NHS Highland spokesman Douglas Seago defended their £1.61 meals. He said: "Our food is cooked on site by staff focused on providing nourishing meals.

"Our catering service works closely with dieticians to ensure our meals are nutritionally analysed."

Sunday Mail chef Michael Kilkie admitted it could be possible to cook a nutritious meal for £1.61.

He said: "There are things which don't cost a lot to make, such as healthy vegetable soup, but a fair bit of planning would have to go into the menus."

The Scottish Government said: "We recognise that good nutrition in hospital plays an important role in the recovery of patients.

"The issue of how much hospitals spend on food is a matter for individual NHS boards."

HOW YOUR HEALTH BOARD IS FARING

SCOTLAND'S hospital food league shows a huge gap in the average meal spend between Golden Jubilee and NHS Highland.

Golden Jubilee £9.54

NHS Orkney £4.68

NHS Western Isles £4.11

NHS Shetland £2.93

NHS Dumfries & Galloway £2.79

NHS Ayrshire & Arran £2.61

NHS Tayside £2.46

NHS Lanarkshire £2.36

NHS Fife £2.18

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde £2.18

NHS Grampian £2.11

NHS Borders £2.04

State Hospital, Carstairs £2.00

NHS Forth Valley £1.93

NHS Lothian £1.68

NHS Highland £1.61

SUNDAY EMAIL

m.aitken@sundaymail.co.uk