Campaigns & issues

Older people must be consulted about hospital menus, their meal requirements and preferences, and hospitals must respond to what they are told.

When some older people decline food, this is recorded by nurses as the patient’s choice. However, some older people, including those with mental health needs (50% of older people in hospital), need encouragement to eat - especially in the strange environment of a hospital ward.

Lack of communication with relatives and carers can mean that this information is not gathered or acted upon.

Information sent to patients prior to admission should have advice about the benefits of eating well in hospital and how
to order food and obtain help if needed.

Heatherwood & Wexham Park Hospitals Trust operates a “Food Group”, that includes patient representatives, who taste and agree changes to the hospital menu. The group meets quarterly.17

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Trust invited members of Greenwich Pensioners’ Forum to discuss the quality of hospital food and tour one of the wards for older patients.

Ron White, of the Forum:

“People are often complaining about the indifferent quality of hospital food and we welcomed the opportunity to try it for ourselves. We were also impressed by the hospital’s open attitude and the way we were welcomed by managers. Many older people are frightened by the thought of going into hospital and days like this go some way to easing those concerns.”

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