New research published today by the Campaign for Better Hospital Food shows that at least in 1 every 4 hospital meals (26%) served to patients in NHS hospitals are thrown in the bin, a figure higher than previously recognised.
This means:
- More than 30 million NHS patient meals (30,558,964) are thrown in the bin each year
- Each hospital trust throws away an average of 190,994 patient meals each year
For the first time, the figures show how much food on patients’ plates is left uneaten and thrown away on hospital wards. Currently, the government asks hospitals to monitor their own food waste, and that they just calculate how much food is wasted in preparing meals before they are wheeled out to patients. They are not asked to inspect the amount of food wasted by patients.
Weak hospital food standards
Last year, the government set hospital food standards for the first time, but campaigners say that they are inexcusably weak and fail to deliver radical improvements to hospital food.
Alex Jackson, Co-ordinator of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said:
“The government has been steadfast in its refusal to have the quality of hospital food and hospital food waste monitored by an independent organisation. Instead it’s happy to use dodgy statistics to bury the true extent of patient dissatisfaction with what they’re being served. But these shocking figures lift the lid on the appalling state of hospital food in our country.
“Patients need nourishing, wholesome meals which are appetising and tasty to eat, not soulless, factory-made food they clearly can’t stomach.
“We want the government to fix hospital food for good by setting higher hospital food standards, putting them into legislation and getting meals independently inspected by an organisation trusted by patients and NHS staff.”
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