Man of Honour
I bet you see how much food is left even on small portions.
NHS=Negligent Health Service
- Thread starter 1664kronenbourg
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I bet you see how much food is left even on small portions.
Soldato
- Joined
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That's just a portion, probably small for a glutton who needs portions on top of portions like a multistorey car park though
9 chips though... its like they went the local chip shop and split a bag of chips between 5+ people
added 50grams of mixed vegetables and a sad looking fish thing with a hand print on it.
I bet most people barely touch them and get a takeaway or something brought in.
Don't know how old this stat is but
The 1297 NHS hospitals and 515 private hospitals produce 12% of the total food waste generated in the UK. That's 1.1 million tonnes of the total of 9.5 million tonnes.
Sounds like a lot of waste, probably cheaper to provide food people will eat?
a lot of the waste could be sandwhiches though, I've been in A&E before and seen nurses walking around with stacks of prepacked sandwhiches asking if anyone wants one.
probably stuff they can't sell or give away
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Commissario
And quite likely not the only thing supplied as the meal.
I know when my dad was in the portions of individual items tended to be "small", but there were also typically multiple things at once, three times a day and IIRC there were various notices up saying basically "if you're hungry or thirsty ask, food and drinks are available at all times" (albeit the food might just be a sandwich or biscuits at time), pretty much as common as the signs saying "If you are in pain please tell us" and "don't risk a fall, ask for help".
Not to mention a lot of people are really bad at estimating/understanding the nutritional value of their food, hence you get people dieting who don't realise the calories in drinks, or people that routinely fill their plate because "that's a portion" rather than having any idea of what the actual recommended portion size is (it can be amusing when you realise how many portions something is meant to be, vs how many you get out of it at "normal" portion size).
The funniest thing is, given some of the responses about needing dieticians, they're the ones who will have set the portion sizes for the specific food types most of the time basing it on what is needed nutritionally for the average person, what it costs and the difficulty of preparation and serving.
Man of Honour
Commissario
Or, and just maybe, people when ill often don't eat much, and those hospitals are probably one of the very few places that are both serving food that has had to be prepared in advance (no cooking it one or two portions at a time like a restaurant), and actually tracking how much food they've bought in, vs how much is thrown away.
They also normally have extremely strict controls on the food, so no "popping it in the fridge for tomorrow" once it's been out on the trolley to be served and they've found the patient who ordered it at 5pm the day before has left, and they've now got someone who really doesn't like the option chosen.
Hospitals don't have a fraction of the staff, or cooking space required to "provide what people will eat", let alone the budget for it given that everyone has different tastes and preferences and they cannot cook individual meals so they cook from "generally accepted" meal lists that are if anything deliberately generic because it's better to provide a meal that is "bland" than a meal that risks serious cross contamination, or that people won't eat because "the flavour is too strong".
Even your average restaurant doesn't "provide what people will eat", or rather they won't have something that every single person regardless of age, preferences or religious limits will eat and like, it's taken decades to get to the point where restaurants are actually aware of what allergens they have in their food, and that maybe a vegetarian option is a thing, and many still aren't good at it despite there being both legal and financial reasons to be.
And to be honest, the hospital food I've seen at my local one is at least on a par with a lot of the cheaper eateries (and some more expensive ones*), let alone the sort of food budget the hospitals have which is something like £4 per meal, that's barely the price of a Mcdonalds coffee and fries, and my local chippy charges at least £8 for a small fish and chips now, or the last time I had an "all day breakfast" at a pub it was something like a tenner (and i'm not sure they didn't microwave the bacon to heat it before frying it for 30 seconds)
*I had a fish and chips at an expensive one near me, at most there were about 20 chips, but they were presented really nicely which is the main thing.
Soldato
Everyday. But then we get some patients who thank us for taking them down for, say a scan, at mealtimes.
Caporegime
@Werewolf another thing being forgotten is people in hospital tend to need fewer calories as they're bed-bound or of limited mobility. Hence smaller portions again.
meal from my trust,
not sure about the boiled egg, never been a fan of them cold, but the fish is ok.
it's a lot better now it's back in house, when it was run by MITIE is looked much like the above with a few chips and fried "fish" blocks.
@Werewolf is right about calorific content being part of it. meals over the day are designed to provide just below the nominal intake for a person. They don't want to start making your weight a problem, and if you're in a bed all or most of the day you're not burning anything like you would in a normal day.
stacked on top of that people don't feel like eating a lot of the time so if they produced more for those who wanted a couple of portions then it would mean more waste and costs.
not sure about the boiled egg, never been a fan of them cold, but the fish is ok.
it's a lot better now it's back in house, when it was run by MITIE is looked much like the above with a few chips and fried "fish" blocks.
@Werewolf is right about calorific content being part of it. meals over the day are designed to provide just below the nominal intake for a person. They don't want to start making your weight a problem, and if you're in a bed all or most of the day you're not burning anything like you would in a normal day.
stacked on top of that people don't feel like eating a lot of the time so if they produced more for those who wanted a couple of portions then it would mean more waste and costs.
Soldato
I've just been watching this video;
youtu.be
I'm putting it in this thread instead of a new one as it's relevant.
Nobody should be attacking, or being abusive to, medical staff.
Having spent more time than most in hospital at different points in my life I've seen some really self entitled patients on the wards. There seems to nearly be always one that is purposely and deliberately annoying, not trying to work with the staff.
I can understand if the patient is delusional or doesn't know what they are doing. But most of the observations I've made is it's a sane person who is grumpy taking it out on someone else.
In the report it says there as been over 2000+ prosecutions yet only 31 convictions or cautions.
I hope that the judges aren't being purposely lenient. Because that defeats the justice system. If I slap someone and say I'm sorry I shouldn't escape a guilty verdict.
I think there needs to be a change in the law to encourage a guilty verdict if someone assaults emergency services staff, which I'd include nurses, doctors, consultants, as well as paramedics.
NHS Nurse Kazeema Afzal Recalls Being Strangled by a Patient
An NHS nurse who was almost strangled to death by a patient, says that she now lives in fear at work. This comes as an ITV News Investigations finds that vio...
youtu.be
NHS attacks: Nurses being spat at, hit and punched at work
A former South East NHS boss calls for more staff to be given body cams as reported assaults rise.
www.bbc.co.uk
I'm putting it in this thread instead of a new one as it's relevant.
Nobody should be attacking, or being abusive to, medical staff.
Having spent more time than most in hospital at different points in my life I've seen some really self entitled patients on the wards. There seems to nearly be always one that is purposely and deliberately annoying, not trying to work with the staff.
I can understand if the patient is delusional or doesn't know what they are doing. But most of the observations I've made is it's a sane person who is grumpy taking it out on someone else.
In the report it says there as been over 2000+ prosecutions yet only 31 convictions or cautions.
I hope that the judges aren't being purposely lenient. Because that defeats the justice system. If I slap someone and say I'm sorry I shouldn't escape a guilty verdict.
I think there needs to be a change in the law to encourage a guilty verdict if someone assaults emergency services staff, which I'd include nurses, doctors, consultants, as well as paramedics.
I thought I'd post some stats. The absolute state of primary care (mainly). I'll let my secondary care colleagues share their own experiences. I've mashed these together from various sources. However, a lot of work has been done by Dr Steve Taylor (twitter/facebook).
1. Newly grad young GPs (<30yrs) leaving the profession, Stats 1 in 4 to 1 in 8.
It's costing the tax player a lot - click here.
2. Core money is being taken away from GPs and being put into PCN pots. Via these pots GP surgeries can only employ a handful of specific (ARRS) staff (Not GPs).
Further reading - click here
Link number 2 - here - some areas GPs can't get jobs!
3. GP practices have seen a funding cut of 20% in real terms since 2016. That's circa £35/pt lost since 2016. (see graphs)
4. GP numbers have fallen by 7% , despite this and due to demand - 20% more appts compared to before covid.
5. GP practices being closed - see graph(s). 1 in 5 since 2013
6. Average number of patients per GP has grown from 1800 to 2300.
7. GMC found 1/3 of Drs who graduated in the UK moved abroad
1/3 go to one of four countries: Australia, New Zealand, USA & Canada
GPs twice as likely to report burnout as a reason (42.8%) & only 10% would return
See Sankey Diagram @[FnG]magnolia sorry it took a while.
8. GPs headed towards industrial action later this year . link
1. Newly grad young GPs (<30yrs) leaving the profession, Stats 1 in 4 to 1 in 8.
It's costing the tax player a lot - click here.
2. Core money is being taken away from GPs and being put into PCN pots. Via these pots GP surgeries can only employ a handful of specific (ARRS) staff (Not GPs).
Further reading - click here
Link number 2 - here - some areas GPs can't get jobs!
3. GP practices have seen a funding cut of 20% in real terms since 2016. That's circa £35/pt lost since 2016. (see graphs)
4. GP numbers have fallen by 7% , despite this and due to demand - 20% more appts compared to before covid.
5. GP practices being closed - see graph(s). 1 in 5 since 2013
6. Average number of patients per GP has grown from 1800 to 2300.
7. GMC found 1/3 of Drs who graduated in the UK moved abroad
1/3 go to one of four countries: Australia, New Zealand, USA & Canada
GPs twice as likely to report burnout as a reason (42.8%) & only 10% would return
See Sankey Diagram @[FnG]magnolia sorry it took a while.
8. GPs headed towards industrial action later this year . link
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Soldato
In the old days, if you missed meals at hospital as away from ward for scans, surgery etc - they kept your food and a member of staff would fetch it for you to eat later. Not now. Then you starve.
Also giving patients better quality foods - rich in protein, fibre, vit C, iron will aid post surgery recovery quicker, heals wounds faster and less likely to get infections. Most food in NHS hospitals is processed rubbish which won’t help. https://www.stjohns.health/blog/2022/june/foods-that-speed-up-post-surgery-recovery/
Also giving patients better quality foods - rich in protein, fibre, vit C, iron will aid post surgery recovery quicker, heals wounds faster and less likely to get infections. Most food in NHS hospitals is processed rubbish which won’t help. https://www.stjohns.health/blog/2022/june/foods-that-speed-up-post-surgery-recovery/
Man of Honour
Not at our hospital.
Not at any hospital I've ever worked at either
My wife used to do the ward catering at our local mental health hospital which used the frozen meals which were reheated and due to that fact, for patient health and safety they couldn't keep the heated meals after 20mins.
Sandwiches were slightly different as the wards have a small kitchen attached to them with a fridge for patients to use.
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Man of Honour
but was your wife one of those that refused patients food after they came back late from a scan?
Yes, agreed they would not keep a meal 'to the side' for a patient who has gone for a scan, but they'd never go hungry, hospital kitchens will always have food available for these patients, even if it's a sandwich/salad
Soldato
One of the advantages of private hospitals - they'll bring the food when you're ready, not when they're ready.
No, she cooked it, set it out then cleaned up after. It would have been the nursing staff that would have done that as the wife would be cleaning the ward area after the food was dished up.
Yes the GH would get food for my mum or dad when they had to go in after the meals had been served, normally sandwiches, biscuits and deserts.