NHS Food - WTF!!
Author
Discussion

Slyjoe

Original Poster:

1,571 posts

229 months

Sunday 8th November 2009
quotequote all
My good lady was unfortunate enough to be Neurtopenic after her first chemo for Breast Cancer this weekend. We are lucky enough to have private health care through my work, but THEY DONT WORK WEEKENDS, so we had to admit her into the Churchill hospital in Oxford. Its very clean and new and shiny, however, its as cold as the north pole, but the main point of this post is the fking st they serve up on a plate and call food!!
I was so disgusted I took a pic of it;

We are very much of the opinion that good food makes you better, but if they are serving up crap on a plate, how the hell is she supposed to get better whilst staying there?
We've all taken her food parcels, but what about the poor sods with no-one to carry in food parcels for them?
I understand that all of these new hospitals were built for "free" for the gubberment with interest payments that you could get from the local pikey money lenders, but hey talk about false economy, feed the poor patients well and they will be out of there like a shot!


jamoor

14,506 posts

233 months

Sunday 8th November 2009
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What exactly are you expecting? Gordon Ramsey??

It's institution food at the end of the day.

nonplussed

3,338 posts

247 months

Sunday 8th November 2009
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I fail to see what the problem is. It's not a restaurant. The food works. You could always bring food in for the Mrs., noone's going to stop you.

hman

7,497 posts

212 months

Sunday 8th November 2009
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My mrs is a specialist peadeatric dietitian (but also covers adults)for the NHS, she is involved in making sure you get what you need foodwise.

The food you get will give you what you need for a recovery rate in line with that expected with whatever your treatment / ailment is.

Nothing more nothing less.

Its free, when you get home you can spend all the money you saved on beer, and in the meantime you can order pizzas etc. to be delivered to the hospital/ get someone to bring you in what you want.

When I was in St Marys for a medium term stay me and the other guys on my ward used to arrange all manner of food to be brought in by our visitors.

The food there wasn't massively appetising, but instead of moaning about it we arranged our own food.

Pick up the phone and do yourself a favour, its not going to improve any other way.



Slyjoe

Original Poster:

1,571 posts

229 months

Sunday 8th November 2009
quotequote all
I kind of agree with the pair of you, but how would you feel if it was your mum/sister/nan and you were too far away to help? My point was that these silly fkers are spending far too much making the place look shiny for visiting dignitarys and forgetting the basics, like; Good food heals!. Lucie is going to come out of here treated medically, but lacking in real nutrition, which is really going to help her get better!

jamoor

14,506 posts

233 months

Sunday 8th November 2009
quotequote all
Slyjoe said:
I kind of agree with the pair of you, but how would you feel if it was your mum/sister/nan and you were too far away to help? My point was that these silly fkers are spending far too much making the place look shiny for visiting dignitarys and forgetting the basics, like; Good food heals!. Lucie is going to come out of here treated medically, but lacking in real nutrition, which is really going to help her get better!
I guess that meal is lacking a bit in nutrients, should have some vegetables somewhere...

oldbanger

4,328 posts

256 months

Monday 9th November 2009
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that's what I was thinking. it's all bread, potatoes, pastry and yoghurt/dessert. that's going to be pretty harsh on the liver.


Edited by oldbanger on Monday 9th November 00:00

hman

7,497 posts

212 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
Salad cream sachet and no salad?

I'd suggest she either refused the salad or it was plainly missed off her plate.

ymwoods

2,194 posts

195 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
The nutrition in the food will be present, its just the presentation of the slop that is the problem.

Its NHS after all, the food is "enough" and no more.

wiffmaster

2,615 posts

216 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
I've been in for three (relatively minor) operations on the NHS in the last two months. Each time has required general anaesthetic, so have been in overnight on two occasions. I thought the food was quite nice on the whole. Not exactly gourmet, but was nutritious enough and seemed of decent quality. Certainly better than airline food. Even got to choose from a relatively varied menu. I imagine the quality is quite dependent on the trust where you're treated and what company has the catering contract.

In fact the whole NHS experience was infinitely better than I expected. We have private, but as the operations were 'acute' it was irrelevant as I'd have had to be referred and it would've taken too long. Aside from the waiting around for the surgical team to become available and not having the private room to recover in afterwards, the NHS was absolutely no different than the private care I've had in the past...

ShadownINja

78,861 posts

300 months

Monday 9th November 2009
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Spent a few nights at Kingston a while back. No complaints from me. Staff were polite and attentive, food was acceptable, toilets were clean (well, once I told someone that the guy opposite with explosive diarrhoea had had a party in the toilet). What more could I want? Some of the nurses and doctors were hotties, too.

Lois

14,706 posts

270 months

Monday 9th November 2009
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Did she get to pick that though?

I used to get a lot of people who only order a sandwich and then complain when that's all they get!

The kitchen at my old place was terrible. We'd regularly only get half of what people ordered because they'd run out - not good for pregnant women!

shouldbworking

4,787 posts

230 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
http://hospitalnotes.blogspot.com/

A blog on hospital food - the net has everything smile

Munter

31,330 posts

259 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
shouldbworking said:
http://hospitalnotes.blogspot.com/

A blog on hospital food - the net has everything smile
Damn it. A work e-mail stopped me posting this before you!

Bill

56,277 posts

273 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
jamoor said:
It's institution food at the end of the day.
yesIMO they keep the food nasty so people want to go home.

4nonymous

2,920 posts

209 months

Monday 9th November 2009
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It depends on which hospital you're at.

Some of it really really lush and stupidly cheap biggrin Some of it is just bog standard and fine. WTF do you expect anyway it's a hospital !


Slyjoe

Original Poster:

1,571 posts

229 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
To be honest I'd expect something fresh, nutricious and appetizing so that I can "eat myself better". Its just my opinion that the resources are all spent in the wrong areas.
Anyways, she's home now so I'm making a spag-bog from fresh ingredients.

Shinobi

5,111 posts

208 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
I actually found the food nice when i was in two years ago for a few weeks, i think people expect to much. It's hardly a holiday.

Mrs Muttleysnoop

1,417 posts

202 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
Hopefully your wife's hospital has given her a booklet explaining all about her chemo and also foods that should be avoided.

Someone has suggested taking in pizza etc a big no - no.

The booklet provided by the Oncology Department in Suffolk I attended states.

Food safety and Neutropenia.

General food safety guidelines while you are Neutropenic,

.Wash hands before handling food.
.Do not allow chilled foods to become warm.
.Do not re-heat leftovers
.Be extra cautious when using a microwave. Follow cooking instructions precisely.
.No take-aways.
.Wipe tops of cans before opening and do not drink directly from the can or bottle.
.Wash and peel fruit before eating.

Some foods are known to have a high risk of carrying infections and these should be avoided.

.Pate.
.Soft cheeses e.g Brie, Camembert.
.Blue cheeses e.g Danish Blue, Blue Cheshire.
.Ripened cheeses e.g Stilton.
.Sheep's and Goat's cheese.
.Raw farm milk.
.Uncooked eggs e.g home made mayo, eggs wih soft yolks after cooking..Live yohurts..Ice cream from ice cream vans and soft whip machines.
.Shellfish e.g prawns, shrimps, crabs, cockles.
.Pre-prepared salad vegatables e.g bags of lettuce, watercress etc.
.Commercial salad bar products e.g open cartons of coleslaw,potato salad, Chose sealed cartons.
.Delicatessen foods e.g sausage rolls, pasties.
.Pepper - can be used in cooking but not sprinkled onto foods.
.NON-carbonated bottled water.

---------------------------------------------
Could a member of your family or neighbour take your wife a flask of home made soup each day. My hushand did it for me when I was in hospital for 11 days and could not eat solids.

Good luck to you and your wife.

Edited by Mrs Muttleysnoop on Monday 9th November 20:06


Edited for spelling.

Edited by Mrs Muttleysnoop on Monday 9th November 20:08

Targarama

14,691 posts

301 months

Monday 9th November 2009
quotequote all
I had the pleasure of staying at the John Radcliffe in Oxford in June. To say the food was st was an understatement. I suspect prisoners get better treatment.