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Patients give verdict on Burnley hospital meals
10:00am Wednesday 23rd December 2009
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- By Neil Docking » Health reporter
PATIENTS at Burnley General Hospital have been giving their verdict on its new dinner menus.
Hospital bosses admitted teething problems with new catering arrangements last week but said they were working hard to ensure the new system was running smoothly.
New menus were brought in two weeks after changes to the hospital’s kitchen, and food is now prepared off-site by private company, Apetito.
It offers more than 200 main meals and desserts, which include options for special dietary requirements such as gluten free, diabetic and low salt.
Patients in the hospital's delivery ward were among the first to try the new dishes.
Beth McKiernan had been in hospital giving birth to twins, Joseph and Isabella.
During her time on the ward she enjoyed meals including fish and chips with mushy peas, cottage pie and lasagne.
The 22-year-old, from Straight Mile Court, Burnley, said: “I think it's really good, it's very tasty. It's brought up on a trolley and you can see what there is to choose from, so it's like a mobile canteen. They give you as much as you want and you can go back for more.”
Shakila Begum, 37, of Chapel Street, Brierfield, gave birth to her second daughter, Sana, at the hospital.
She said: “It's good quality food. I've been impressed with the choice. My favourite was jacket potatoes with beans and cheese.
“It's better than the food I had here when I had my first daughter Sadia, who is seven now.”
But Candy Cowley, 22, of Allendale Street, Colne, who gave birth to a baby boy Lucas was not impressed with the food.
She said: “I've not enjoyed it, it tastes funny. I had shepherd's pie for one meal and it wasn't very good. It was really dry and there was no gravy.”
Caterers at Burnley Hospital prepare around 1,500 meals every day, feeding 500 patients three times a day.
The move to bring in outside caterers was criticised by the leader of Burnley Council, Gordon Birtwistle, who said concerned staff had contacted him about the change, and a member of the catering staff said workers were unhappy with the standard of the food.
But the trust defended its decision, as apetitio works with more than 180 hospitals and 150 local authorities across the UK.
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Your Say YourLancashire
john the boss, great harwood says...
10:16am Wed 23 Dec 09
,,what a rubbish one sided waste of a story this is....
fatgit, Burnley says...
10:27am Wed 23 Dec 09
I remember one of the hospitals in my home town doing this kind of thing when I was 10 or 11, and it was very popular.
As for the story, about what I've come to expect lately from LT.
Neil Docking, Blackburn says...
12:52pm Wed 23 Dec 09
The story was not intended to be nor does it claim to be a comprehensive survey. The Lancashire Telegraph can only interview patients at the hospital with the hospital trust's permission and as such spoke to three women put forward who gave a mixed verdict on the food, some suggesting it had improved, some that it was not up to standard. As always we strive to give both sides of the debate.
Hope this helps,
Neil
Mike Costa, Blackburn says...
1:24pm Wed 23 Dec 09
Neil Docking wrote:Fair comment. Thanks
Hi, The story was not intended to be nor does it claim to be a comprehensive survey. The Lancashire Telegraph can only interview patients at the hospital with the hospital trust's permission and as such spoke to three women put forward who gave a mixed verdict on the food, some suggesting it had improved, some that it was not up to standard. As always we strive to give both sides of the debate. Hope this helps, Neil
DaveBurnley, Burnley says...
9:11am Thu 24 Dec 09
fatgit wrote:Not a bad idea, maybe Neil Docking might like to ask his editor if they could organise such an event. That way the hospital wouldn't be put to any expense and the Telegraph would get a useful article out of the whole issue.
Maybe the hospital should offer an Open Day, and, for a fee (wouldn't want it to cost the NHS), you can try the food and rate it independently ?
I remember one of the hospitals in my home town doing this kind of thing when I was 10 or 11, and it was very popular.
As for the story, about what I've come to expect lately from LT.
Byanothername, Burnley says...
10:20pm Sat 26 Dec 09
‘VERY TASTY’: Beth McKiernan, in hospital after giving birth to twins, said the meals were really good
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Mike Costa, Blackburn says...
10:05am Wed 23 Dec 09
That's a great survey. Well researched. You ask 3 people and you build a story around that? Well done!