Another triumph for privatisation….
More than 10million hospital meals are thrown away each year because they are so disgusting.
The massive waste has led to calls from politicians, patients and NHS staff for a complete overhaul of the way hospital food is provided.
Standards are so low because most food is ready-made by outside contractors and costs as little as £1.50 per head – only half what is spent on meals for prisoners in jail.
Hmm, I think it’s a bit silly to blame it on the food being ‘disgusting’ or on privatisation. Let’s not forget patients do get considerable choice in food when they come to hospital – and some of it looks really good. Maybe it’s because people who are ill don’t actually want to eat very much, particularly the elderly?
I’ve blogged about these hospital scare stories here: http://cambridgeunilabour.blogspot.com/2009/03/does-nhs-hate-elderly.html
I’m more disgusted that prisoners get to watch TV for free, yet people in hospital have to pay £2.70 a day. That’s completely immoral and a disgrace.
Not many hospitals are fully privatised, but it does go to show how healthcare budgets are being wilfully distorted by PFI, consultants and goodness knows what else.
If only Labour’s increase in health expenditure had actually gone to patients.
*sigh*
It is not the ‘privatsed hospitals’ so much as hospitals that have carried on the Tory Competitive Tendering that has led squeezed price AND quality.
Also, LFaT, patients don’t need money, they want treatment. And treatment in decent hospitals and by well-trained staff, not the run down slums and piss-poor staffing levels that we inherited from the Tories.
(sigh!)