[lettie]

Once upon a time, food was served by the nurses as soon as it hit the ward. Incapacitated patients were helped to eat their food by a nurse or auxillary. The food has never been brilliant, but it was edible and wholesome. I remember looking forward to meal times, as helping someone elderly, confused or unable to handle a knife and fork meant that I could have a sit down......

Due to the NHS having too many generals and not enough foot soldiers, nurses are now incapable of delivering the meals on time. There's simply not enough of us around on the wards to feed people any more. Those of us that have stuck it out are bogged down with endless excessive paperwork which falls from the adminisphere in order to make it look like we are meeting targets.

It does not surprise me that people complain. Believe me, food is not the worst thing that folk gripe about. Being kicked out of hospital before you have made a full recovery because some other poor soul needs your bed is much worse........and happens on a daily basis throughout the country.

Being transferred all over the North West because your local hospital has no NICU cots left, or even worse......has a cot, but no staff (a frequent occurrence), is much worse.

Nurses and midwives leaving in droves because they are brassed off, but they are never replaced....... We have lost 4 full time experienced midwives to Australia and New Zealand in the last 12 months. Trusts claim that they haven't the money to replace these people, but they can appoint a new manager to oversee yet another government target, and no doubt on a fat cat salary with protected pay.

The food may be bad in hospital but people are lucky to be getting food. They're certainly not getting care....

I do believe that most people think that QPH food is better than BRI..