NSW brings in pre-packaged hospital food.

Published

http://www.smh.com.au/national/inedible-frozen-meals-for-patients-20090519-beah.html

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/govt-defends-prepackaged-hospital-food-20090520-beuh.html

http://www.smh.com.au/national/nurses-to-supervise-feeding-despite-lack-of-staff-20090520-bfsd.html

Thoughts? I personally love the fact that their claiming that the food "will ensure its 22 million meals served annually meet strict standards for quality and consistency and stop staff in the state's eight area health services sourcing ingredients and cooking meals without government supervision or control." It's really quite an obvious euphemism for "my tiny bureaucratic mind might explode at the idea of hospitals across the state serving something slightly different. Even if it's better, it's not on!"

*sigh*

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Specializes in Medical.

Though they're often good in a pinch, I can't imagine eating nothing but prepacked meals long term, and that's without being sick.

My hospital tenders out its support services (orderlies etc). When they changed companies the staff took industrial action and management handed out prepacked meals. The meals were designed for airline passengers - no thick fluids, no vitamised diets, orange juice and spinach for the renal patients, and the diabetics got chocolate frogs.

If the kitchen here has trouble making a diabetic meal for someone with renal failure who's had a stroke (we had two of these patients last year, one also with coeliac disease), I can't imagine how prepacked meals can accommodate them.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.

Gives a whole new meaning to "frequent flyers" doesn't it???!!!! :)

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Specializes in Medical.

My favourite thig about our airline meal experience - when asked why they ate the chocolate, every single patient who ate the Freddo despite having diabetes said "It was on the tray." Uh-huh. And the two patients with diabetes who didn't eat the chocolate even thoiugh it was also on their trays - "I have diabetes; chocolate would shoot up my BSL."

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Ortho/HH/Radiology-Now Retired.

Don't you love people who are proactive in their own healthcare!

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Specializes in Medical.

My favourite patients!

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