hospital food

Guzzler

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I have not been admitted to hospital since dx but now will put a couple of foodsavers in my overnight bag along with sleepwear. #glumface
 

Bluetit1802

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25,216
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This was before I was diabetic. I had to ask hubby to bring me in salt and butter among many other things. Most of the main meals were mashed potato with various awful concoctions. The gravy was optional but was so thick and lumpy, with skin, and an odd colour, that I couldn't contemplate it (luke warm as well) I asked for salt because it was obvious there was no salt involved in the cooking (fair enough) and I was used to adding salt to potato. It was as dry as a bone and also luke warm so needed the gravy or some butter. No butter available - not allowed to give out butter, only low fat equivalents. No salt available for anyone at any time in case they were on low salt diets. The sandwiches were pre-packed, like the ones in supermarkets but with less interesting fillings. The packet said they were made in some town 60 miles away and tasted like they were weeks past the eat by dates.
 
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badcat

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The last time I was in hospital they refused to discharge me until I had eaten something (I had a tooth extraction under general). When I arrived at hospital and when I came round, my sugars were on the high side. The nurse said 'oh they're rather high, we can't let you go until they come down a bit'. She then gave me full sugar low fat yoghurt and when I refused she offered ice cream! In the end I signed myself out stating that I'd never leave if they continued to offer me sugar loaded food. The thought of being admitted scares me silly.
Hospital rules is hospital rules! I was in for 4 very long mohths at one time and was quickly prescribed sleeping tablets because I couldnt sleep for all the noise. As I got sicker and/or more used to the noise, I began to fall asleep before the 10pm drug round but would always be woken up because " you need to take your sleeping tablet" Once they had been prescribed, it took forever to get the docs to review my prescriptions so the ritual of being woken up to take a sleeping tablet continued. i thought that was more than a little bonkers so I just stashed the tablet in my cheek when they insisted I took it, and then put into a empty bottle when the nurse was out of sight - I had enough stashed by the time I was finally discharged to kill myslef or anyone else several times over!
 
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badcat

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This was before I was diabetic. I had to ask hubby to bring me in salt and butter among many other things. Most of the main meals were mashed potato with various awful concoctions. The gravy was optional but was so thick and lumpy, with skin, and an odd colour, that I couldn't contemplate it (luke warm as well) I asked for salt because it was obvious there was no salt involved in the cooking (fair enough) and I was used to adding salt to potato. It was as dry as a bone and also luke warm so needed the gravy or some butter. No butter available - not allowed to give out butter, only low fat equivalents. No salt available for anyone at any time in case they were on low salt diets. The sandwiches were pre-packed, like the ones in supermarkets but with less interesting fillings. The packet said they were made in some town 60 miles away and tasted like they were weeks past the eat by dates.
during my mammoth hospital stay, the nurses told me that all food, including sandwiches came frozne from Swansea as that was where the company that won the tender operated and then defrosted at the hospital - my hospital was in East London. When I cottoned on about ordering halal options it was largely because these were supplied by local curry houses
 

Bluetit1802

Legend
Messages
25,216
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
during my mammoth hospital stay, the nurses told me that all food, including sandwiches came frozne from Swansea as that was where the company that won the tender operated and then defrosted at the hospital - my hospital was in East London. When I cottoned on about ordering halal options it was largely because these were supplied by local curry houses

That is dreadful. Why on earth can't big hospitals cook and prepare their own food? At the end of the day it has to be more cost effective. And pre-packed sandwiches bought it from elsewhere is just ridiculous.
 
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badcat

Guest
That is dreadful. Why on earth can't big hospitals cook and prepare their own food? At the end of the day it has to be more cost effective. And pre-packed sandwiches bought it from elsewhere is just ridiculous.
Hopefully things have improved as my mammoth stay was 20 years ago, but I have my doubts - I worked in the nhs prior to retirement and the pressure to get the cheapest tender for things was always increasing
 

dancer

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1,360
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Pump
I have had 3 stays in hospital as an adult. The first was when I was diagnosed with Type 1, and the food could have been better but could have been a lot worse.

The 2nd and 3rd stays were at the maternity hospital, where I had my 2 children. This hospital was attached to a children's hospital, where there was a diet kitchen, and my food came from that kitchen. The girls in my ward used to look at my meal and their own plates and said that they wished they were diabetic! When I saw what they were expected to eat, I was glad that I was getting decent food.

Several years later, I was talking to a lady at the diabetic clinic who'd just spent time as an in-patient in the first hospital. I asked what the food was like now, and she said it was like meals you get on a plane. I asked if this was from the diet kitchen and she said they no longer had one. All meals were the pre-packed ones.

A very large hospital has been built in our city (Glasgow). I'm hoping it's not true, but I was told that it doesn't have a cooking kitchen, as they only heat up meals there.

A friend told me that she was talking to a driver who collects sandwiches from Ayrshire, from the Irish ferry, and delivers them to the hospitals in Glasgow. How can it be cheaper to have sandwiches made in Ireland, transported across the Irish sea to Scotland and then delivered to all Glasgow hospitals, rather than make them in-house?

I dread the thought of having to stay in hospital again. I am now coeliac and know that for the first 24 hours, I would be lucky to get a gluten free meal. I was talking to another coeliac who said that she was offered breaded fish for her lunch. She knew better than to accept it, but if she had, they'd probably have said she had norovirus, when her intestines reacted to the gluten!
 

therower

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I often wonder what starving children in other parts of the world would make of the NHS meals provided to us poor souls???????:(
 

JohnEGreen

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Probably the same as they would make of your average Sunday dinner or mine for that matter.
 
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Deleted member 308541

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I often wonder what starving children in other parts of the world would make of the NHS meals provided to us poor souls???????:(

Probably the same as they would make of your average Sunday dinner or mine for that matter.

I believe when you are starving your stomach would not tolerate the richer food, it's probably why they feed the starving kids that runny porridge food on the daily news.

I remember in the Band of Brothers tv series, when they liberated a concentration camp and they fed the inmates rich food from the local village / town. They were told to stop as the food was to rich for them by the higher ups.
 

Kristin251

Expert
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5,334
Type of diabetes
LADA
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Insulin
I know, I know. At a restaurant we frequent I just found out their guacamole is NOT GF!!! Who puts gluten in guacamole???? Avo slices it is. Can't trust anything
 
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ickihun

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Sandwiches but meals were ok. Gave my mum the sweet. ;)
 
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ickihun

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Dreading winter incase im ill again. :( when ill I cannot eat anyway.
In for tests when offered white bread sandwich and 2 course meal.
 

dbr10

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,237
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
This was before I was diabetic. I had to ask hubby to bring me in salt and butter among many other things. Most of the main meals were mashed potato with various awful concoctions. The gravy was optional but was so thick and lumpy, with skin, and an odd colour, that I couldn't contemplate it (luke warm as well) I asked for salt because it was obvious there was no salt involved in the cooking (fair enough) and I was used to adding salt to potato. It was as dry as a bone and also luke warm so needed the gravy or some butter. No butter available - not allowed to give out butter, only low fat equivalents. No salt available for anyone at any time in case they were on low salt diets. The sandwiches were pre-packed, like the ones in supermarkets but with less interesting fillings. The packet said they were made in some town 60 miles away and tasted like they were weeks past the eat by dates.
Oh dear. That's terrible.
 

dbr10

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,237
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hospital rules is hospital rules! I was in for 4 very long mohths at one time and was quickly prescribed sleeping tablets because I couldnt sleep for all the noise. As I got sicker and/or more used to the noise, I began to fall asleep before the 10pm drug round but would always be woken up because " you need to take your sleeping tablet" Once they had been prescribed, it took forever to get the docs to review my prescriptions so the ritual of being woken up to take a sleeping tablet continued. i thought that was more than a little bonkers so I just stashed the tablet in my cheek when they insisted I took it, and then put into a empty bottle when the nurse was out of sight - I had enough stashed by the time I was finally discharged to kill myslef or anyone else several times over!
It's just stupid. Why can't they seem to see that, since it's so obvious.
 

dbr10

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,237
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
That is dreadful. Why on earth can't big hospitals cook and prepare their own food? At the end of the day it has to be more cost effective. And pre-packed sandwiches bought it from elsewhere is just ridiculous.
Totally agree. But I think it's the mania with outsourcing under all Governments.
 

dbr10

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Messages
2,237
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
Hopefully things have improved as my mammoth stay was 20 years ago, but I have my doubts - I worked in the nhs prior to retirement and the pressure to get the cheapest tender for things was always increasing
In theory that wouldn't be a problem if there was strict adherence to maintaining standards; but lower cost is usually achieved by cutting corners and the pay and conditions of the outsourced staff.
 

dbr10

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,237
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I have had 3 stays in hospital as an adult. The first was when I was diagnosed with Type 1, and the food could have been better but could have been a lot worse.

The 2nd and 3rd stays were at the maternity hospital, where I had my 2 children. This hospital was attached to a children's hospital, where there was a diet kitchen, and my food came from that kitchen. The girls in my ward used to look at my meal and their own plates and said that they wished they were diabetic! When I saw what they were expected to eat, I was glad that I was getting decent food.

Several years later, I was talking to a lady at the diabetic clinic who'd just spent time as an in-patient in the first hospital. I asked what the food was like now, and she said it was like meals you get on a plane. I asked if this was from the diet kitchen and she said they no longer had one. All meals were the pre-packed ones.

A very large hospital has been built in our city (Glasgow). I'm hoping it's not true, but I was told that it doesn't have a cooking kitchen, as they only heat up meals there.

A friend told me that she was talking to a driver who collects sandwiches from Ayrshire, from the Irish ferry, and delivers them to the hospitals in Glasgow. How can it be cheaper to have sandwiches made in Ireland, transported across the Irish sea to Scotland and then delivered to all Glasgow hospitals, rather than make them in-house?

I dread the thought of having to stay in hospital again. I am now coeliac and know that for the first 24 hours, I would be lucky to get a gluten free meal. I was talking to another coeliac who said that she was offered breaded fish for her lunch. She knew better than to accept it, but if she had, they'd probably have said she had norovirus, when her intestines reacted to the gluten!
Food is such a very important part of making sure people recover as quickly as possible in hospital. Poor food and nutrition standards is only going to ensure they are there longer.
 

ickihun

Master
Messages
13,698
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Type 2
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That is dreadful. Why on earth can't big hospitals cook and prepare their own food? At the end of the day it has to be more cost effective. And pre-packed sandwiches bought it from elsewhere is just ridiculous.
A tax write off, somewhere. Hospitals run like a business.