Hospital food concern.

Pollylocks said:

I had an op for breast cancer last week and previously had heard soo many scare stories about treatment by the NHS.

So I was wary but I couldn't have been treated better from start to finish. I had the choice to go private through work but I chose not to as the time difference was only a few days...mammogram to diagnosis to operation was 5 weeks. It was a day op and I was admitted to a ward after the operation where I was told that once I had some fluids and eaten that I could go home but only if I felt I was okay to do so, there was no pressure. I was given an egg sandwich which I didn't want as hunger wasn't an issue but I was grateful for.....it may not have been my choice [bread!] but it meant I could go home and after all, the people who bring round your food are not specialised in what diabetics should and shouldn't eat, they deliver what they're given !

There's so much conflicting advice about what we diabetics should and shouldn't eat at the moment, the staff in the NHS must find it very difficult as the dietary changes are only just starting to filter through....most of us diabetics have learnt that low carb is best for us but until they realise I don't think we can blame them.

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Blimey - I do hope you're recovering well.

I was in hospital recently for a kidney tumour removal. I was glad to have that done and was not too bothered by my diet changing for 4 days - the portions were small and the period was not long so no damage done.

It must be difficult for the NHS to try to cater for every diet. If you look at the hugely different diets followed by people on this forum, a diabetic diet becomes difficult to establish. Unfortunately NHS hospitals are usually not able to offer an a la carte menu.

I will forward a link to my colleagues on the London Clinical Senate so that all of us on the Senate are aware of the views on hospital food by those following particular diets.

Regards

Doug

I wrote about this on the forum before, quite a while ago. My issue wasn't so much with the food offered (standard stuff, cereal and toast for brekkie, potatoes etc for dinner) but more with the attitude in general. I was an inpatient twice while I was having IV chemotherapy, I also had daily radiotherapy and on the second admission, I was bedbound and in quite a state.
I asked the miserable so and so bringing round the drinks if I could have one sugar in my coffee, my taste was skewed and it made it more palateable. She threw (and I do mean threw) a sweetener on my table. When I said I didn't use sweetener and would like one sugar instead, she told me I couldn't have it as I was diabetic. Never mind the rubbish like ice cream that was put in front of me..
I had enough on my plate so I didn't want high bg's too, as that makes me feel really ill.

I did raise this with staff, although on an oncology ward, I appreciated they had more important things to deal with. It was the fact that I was labelled, like a child and was to have no say in what I ate at such a difficult time.
Luckily, one of the other ladies who brought round the evening meals, noticed that I kept refusing the food on offer - I wasn't being awkward, it would have made me feel awful. We got talking and she was interested in what I had to say, as her hubby was a T2, she had never heard of the link between low carbing and diabetic control. That lovely lady went I nto the kitchen every evening to find me bits of chicken breast, cheese, ham - things I could stomach in small quantities, and I was so grateful. I think it is an individual choice, we have to weigh up the situation at that time but be prepared to be offered high carb foods, as that is what the NHS has deemed fit for us. We can either accept it, or refuse it. But I certainly think it's worth feeding back to the hospital that we follow a lower carb diet (if that's the case) and why - it's probably the best we can do.

I'm a T1 midwife on an insulin pump and as I was handing a woman's care over I heard another midwife having a meltdown about a T1 lady on a pump who "doesn't take a regular dose of insulin like they normally do. She said something about a matching insulin to food course she's done. How is anyone meant to work out how much insulin she needs written up on her prescription sheet? Can we just get a Dr to write doses and she can do her own thing?" This was where I suggested that maybe the midwife could ask the lady what her ratio was and get the Dr to prescribe accordingly. Then I had to explain ratios and was looked at like I was from another planet and apparently we don't need a Diabetic Specialist midwife...

Southbeds said:

I feel sorry for diabetics with Alzheimer's they may have had good control when well but if they have to go in a home or hospital the NHS dietitians will make there last days agony, this must be happening now to some poor souls.this is my nightmare

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I agree, and I'm a specialist dementia care assistant!

Remember when I'm at work I have to work along with the guidelines set, so I won't debate what is the right or wrong diet for a diabetic... But saying that in theory because we uphold individuals rights of choices, if somebody did pitch up following the LCHF diet we should continue this diet....

but two factors play apart, that is lack of training, and what training given that impacts, then there's the attitude of some to be dealt with and work condition/staffing levels


As we all know that many people don't understand diabetes, so often staff haven't received any training, then you get staff who's done a diabetic awareness course they do one where I work, which is distant learning based....So you've either got staff who are ignorant of what they are actually doing, or staff who think they know better........

And believe me, I've banged my head against a brick wall many a time, trying to break the myths, show how we can help our diabetics, the importance when checking BG's this is done at the correct times... How we can encourage better eating, and/or lower there actual carb intake etc with subtle changes. such as increasing the veg and meat, but lower the spuds/pasta we put on the plate.

Sometimes staff attitude can play a part...

Often they are on mim wage, working long hours...

I'm lucky my wage compared against other companies is good, but it does not reflect my qualifications or the training I've done or what my job involves....

Yes in the last year, I have been punched so hard, a right hook to my head, that it took me off my feet, and I've been pinned against a wall by my throat.... I work 12 hour shifts, and finding time to have a break is very difficult, we are supposed to have an hours worth of breaks, but often you're lucky if you've managed 30 minutes away from the residents..

You think lchf is hard try a low fat medium carb diet in hospital, was given a sausage roll as veggie option, hubby got lovely salads and soup in a flask. Had a hypo and was given a sugar free yogurt after a moan was given a ham and cheese sandwich, with the apology you can peel the ham off the bread, lady across ward came over with jelly babies.

Shar67 said:

You think lchf is hard try a low fat medium carb diet in hospital, was given a sausage roll as veggie option, hubby grout lovely salads and soup in a flask. Had a hypo and was given a sugar free yogurt after a moan was given a ham and cheese sandwich, with the apology you can peel the ham off the bread, lady across ward came over with jelly babies.

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That happened to my dad 40 years ago.
To hear this happen to you in this age is simply disgusting.

Having been in hospital 4 times in the last year ( once myself and twice with my son -type 1 and coeliac disease and once with my daughter -coeliac disease ) on all occasions I have had a real issue with the food offered . It is a large teaching hospital and on all occasions the food offered was totally unsuitable , well poison to a coeliac and as for carb counting for a diabetic child!!!!!! The last time I was in with my son he had been admitted because of sickness and so food that was both gluten free and appealing to someone who had been on a drip for 3 days was quite important, well it was to me, but obviously not to the catering staff.
The problem I believe is the lack of education and information flow between departments. I was fortunate that my husband was able to bring in for for my son and I ( I am also coeliac) and when we were told by all the doctors that he would not be discharged until he had eaten a meal , we ate it for him.
I have since been into hospital to see both the Gastroenterologist and Diabetic specialist and in no uncertain terms told them of my experiences and opinions and they have both been very receptive tony views and have asked me to join a forum to help the flow of information between departments and hopefully ensure a better experience for others who have to be in hospital for any length of time.
I don't what other NHS trusts are like but I am hoping that mine will be able to amend the poor food service that is given to children, as they only have us as their mouthpieces.
End of lecture!!

I hope this finds you all well and wishing you all a happy and healthy new year.xx