Food in Hospitals

A survey of catering at 95 NHS trusts has revealed a need for the NHS to pull a "Jamie Oliver" and provide better nutrition for patients. 37% of patients left a meal uneaten because it looked, smelled or tasted disgusting. 80% of patients were not given the opportunity to choose meals in advance,

Sharon Grant, national chair of Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health said: "Proper nutrition is essential to recovery. Food should be of good quality and enjoyable - if it's not, it won't be eaten, and this seems to be borne out by our findings."

Nationally, the Green Party would want to establish a Ministry of Food (incorporating some of the functions of DEFRA) with the primary objective of the production of healthy, humanely produced, local food. The Ministry of Food would set short and long-term goals for the quality of the food supply. Urgent attention would be given to the quality of food for pregnant women, nursing mothers, babies, infants and children, patients in hospitals, those in residential homes, and prison populations.