Does hospital food fail the good taste test?

THE meals at Tameside and Stepping Hill hospitals are excellent, bearing in mind they are provided free. I would be willing to pay a standing charge of £10 per day to cover the cost. After all, treatment is free, so you should be prepared to be charged for the food provided. If you were at home, you would be paying for all your meals.

M. J. MARSH, Saddleworth, Gtr Manchester. PRUE LEITH has been given the task of improving the diet of hospital patients, and we all understand the value of healthy eating. A friend was recuperating from pneumonia on a hospital ward and when she was given the menu, chose the healthy option of vegetables of the day. She was presented with a plate of peas. ELEANOR M. FISHER, Ulverston, Cumbria. AT THE Royal Blackburn hospital, I have been served excellent porridge and hot meals on the ward as a patient and in the canteen as a visitor. My only complaints were that there was often far too much food on the plate and sometimes you didn’t get what you had ordered. The worst food I had was a sandwich.

DIANA GROGAN, Blackburn, Lancs. WHEN I was in Barnet General for three months with cellulitis, food was the last thing on my mind. I was just hoping I wouldn’t have my leg chopped off. The food was adequate, but The Ritz it wasn’t. If you want the finest cuisine, book yourself into a private hospital. Once you see the price, I think you’d soon lose your appetite. I was pleased to lose 1 ½ stone during my hospital stay.

HARVEY APPELL, London N14.