Which?: Patient satisfaction vital
Monday, 17 Dec 2007 14:20
Patients must be given the opportunity to comment on their hospital food without fear of their treatment being hampered, Which? has said.
The consumer watchdog is calling for hospitals to place an emphasis on customer satisfaction and to ask for feedback on the food provided.
Its comments follow a survey of 1,000 recent patients and 250 hospital workers on how they view hospital food.
One in three former patients said they were not happy with the food they were given and a quarter brought their own food in.
Even staff expressed dismay with hospital meals, with one in five saying they would not eat what is offered to patients.
Which? health campaigner Clare Corbett asked why food is not getting better in response to growing evidence that patients and NHS staff are unhappy with it.
"It would seem silence is anything but golden when it comes to hospital care," she said.
"Patients with serious concerns don't speak out because they don't think it'll change anything, or they're afraid it might compromise their care.
"To put a stop to the hunger on our wards, hospitals must do more to encourage patients to give feedback and act on what they say."