‘Vegan? Have a tuna or cheese sandwich’
How I was left hungry for days by the NHS
IF YOU are a vegan, you could face going hungry in a NHS hospital. I was admitted to hospital with an infected wound in my right hand to be treated with intravenous antibiotics and a procedure under general anaesthetic. I had been ‘nil by mouth’ since 6am while I waited to be operated on. But at 3pm it was decided to delay the operation until the next day. I was feeling very hungry when, at 5pm, I was offered a sandwich from the trolley. When I asked the catering staff what was the vegan option, I was told cheese. When I asked if they understood what veganism was, they shrugged and muttered: ‘You don’t eat meat.’ I explained I don’t eat animal products. I was then offered a tuna sandwich! I explained that under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, veganism is a ‘protected belief’, and that by not offering an adequate meal, the hospital trust was in contravention of my human rights. One of the staff said: ‘I’ll leave this one to you, mate,’ and made a swift retreat. I was handed a banana and told that inquiries would be made in the kitchen about vegan meal choices. The next day, when I was handed a menu to complete, I explained my dietary needs to the clinical support worker, who offered to check with the kitchen. He returned to say they would ‘knock me up something for tomorrow, but it was too late for today’ and that it mighty be ‘pot luck’. The next morning, I again had to explain veganism to the woman at the helm of the breakfast trolley, who replied: ‘Vegan? That’s the same as gluten-free, right?’ After heading off to the kitchen, she returned with the information: ‘They have offered to make you scrambled egg.’ No one on the catering staff seemed to realise eggs are an animal product. I asked to speak to the ward sister, who I expected would know about nutrition and the differing dietary requirements her patients may present with. However, she told me: ‘This is the NHS, and this is the diet you have chosen to eat. Why can’t you just have a bowl of breakfast cereal?’ I asked if there was any non-dairy milk, and she replied: ‘This is the NHS, and we only have generic semi-skimmed milk.’ Eventually, a carton of soya milk was found and I was able to have cereal — my first food in three days in hospital. How come halal requirements are met by the NHS but not a vegan diet? I am a nurse in another hospital, and on my ward veganism is catered for. Veganism is a growing lifestyle, not just a fad diet trend, and one which needs to be accommodated. I find it incredible that a hospital can’t cater for the healthiest diet there is, yet provides trolleys full of foods containing carcinogens and ingredients that can be linked to diabetes. Not only is veganism cruelty free, it is the gold standard for your health and the most environmentally friendly diet you can eat.