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Where appropriate, hospitals should use trained volunteers to provide additional help and support at mealtimes.

Volunteers can be especially useful in helping patients who have visual impairments or those who may have difficulty in cutting food and lifting food to their mouths. They can also offer encouragement to those who do not feel like eating.

In 2005, Weston Area Health NHS Trust recruited 19 volunteers to help hospital patients at meal times.

Sue Tarpey, Voluntary Services Manager at the Trust:

“These ladies and gentlemen offer a wonderful service to our patients and find it very fulfilling to go home knowing that they have really made a huge difference to a patient’s stay in hospital and to their recuperation.”

Volunteer Sheila Lockhart:

“Being able to spend time helping to encourage patients with their meals is one of the most important parts of the day and seeing a patient beginning to eat makes it very worthwhile work for a volunteer.”

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