10:00am Wednesday 23rd December 2009
By Neil Docking
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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