Poor ratings for hospital food

[Posted: Thu 03/01/2008 www.irishhealth.com]

By John Gibbons, Publisher and Niall Hunter, Editor

Around 40% of the country’s hospitals are below par when it comes to the quality and service of food to patients, according to the latest published results from Rate My Hospital, irishhealth.com’s unique hospital ratings league table.

The hospital awarded the ‘Michelin Star’ for food by patient and relatives is St Luke’s Cancer Hospital in Dublin, in first place out of 52, with a 4.5 out of five , or 90% rating.

St Luke’s was well ahead of Monaghan General Hospital, in second place with 3.98 out of five, or 80%.

The hospital whose food received the worst reviews is the Mid-Western Regional Maternity in Limerick, which scored only 2.35 out of five, or 47%, according to the Rate my Hospital results, and is in last place in the hospital food chain.

In the latest Rate My Hospital survey results, 20 out of 52 major hospitals, or just over 38% of the total, scored on average less than three out of five in terms of food quality and service.

Patients and their relatives are asked to rate hospitals under various headings on a scale of one, which is ‘poor’, to five, which is ‘excellent’.

Under the food quality heading, 32 hospitals achieved an average score of greater than three out of five.

With Rate My Hospital - http://www.ratemyhospital.ie - patients and their relatives are asked to rate hospitals they have recently experienced under 23 headings, including car parking, quality of care, hygiene, communication, and food quality and service.

Nearly 10,000 health consumers have now rated hospitals as part on the Rate My Hospital facility since its launch in late 2006.

The second-highest scoring Dublin hospital in the food league table was Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital, in sixth place with an overall patient rating of 3.68 out of five, or 74%, followed by the Rotunda in seventh place with a score of 3.67 or 73 %.

The lowest scoring Dublin hospital in terms of food quality was St Columcille’s Hospital in Loughlinstown, with a rating of 2.54 out of five, or 51%.

Also in the bottom five of the league table for food quality were Kerry General Hospital, the Mid Western Regional, Limerick and Merlin Park Regional Hospital in Galway.

Here is a selection of comments posted on Rate My Hospital about the quality of hospital food:
St Columcille’s Loughlinstown:
“Food extremely poor; some of the veg still frozen on plates.”

Mid Western Regional Maternity, Limerick:
“The only issue I had with my stay was the quality of the food provided which I would describe as inedible.”

St Luke’s, Rathgar:
“Given the nature of the illnesses of patients, the attitude, patience and professionalism has to be top class. And it certainly was from my perspective, from the catering staff up through nurses, interns and above.”

Holles Street, Dublin:
“I asked what kind of soup was on offer as I’m a vegetarian and I was told on various occasions ‘brown or green’. "

A recent UK survey found that one in three hospital patients are unhappy with the quality of food they receive, and one-quarter of patients surveyed had to rely on relatives to bring them in something edible.

To view the full Rate My Hospital food quality league table, click on...http://www.irishhealth.com/stats/reports/all/qid2.html

aoife(SLX41104)  Posted: 31/07/2008 16:23

Recently in Our Lady Lourdes Drogheda. Food was of a good Standard. Execellant home made soup. Remember you are in a hospital not a hotel!

Patricia(GMC11099)  Posted: 01/09/2008 12:46

Food in hospitals is appalling, no matter which one. Sure, a hospital is not an hotel, and no one would think otherwise. But people who are recovering from an operation or illness need to be able to eat, and not nauseated. I have had occasion to visit people in hospital, and in different hospitals. Just the smell of the food was nauseating to me, a healthy person, and I am not a fussy eater. All any patient would want is a little ordinary food, cooked with just a modicum of care. P.

Billybob  Posted: 01/09/2008 13:54

I had to undergo surgery a number of years ago and stayed in Mount Carmel. The food was great - and you were given a choice. It was like a hotel.

aoife(SLX41104)  Posted: 01/09/2008 23:13

Have you actually sampled the food. Not all hospital food is bad. In fact some of it is very good and I have been in a position to sample the food.

Patricia(GMC11099)  Posted: 02/09/2008 15:06

Yes, Aoife, I have indeed sampled hospital food. Fortunately, I have never been in hospital except for a brief one or two day procedure, so even if I ate nothing for the two days it did not matter. People can, and do, bring in food to their nearest and dearest. But that should not have to be the case. I can say the Mater Private did have reasonably good food, but another well known hospital not far from it had the most appalling stuff I have ever seen. I have had occasion to visit some elderly people in St. Vincents Hospital. Not only was the food appalling but the tray was simply left at the end of the bed, where the unfortunate patients could not reach it. I remember being SO angry, that I just went outside, went to a shop and brought in something for these frail people (one was my mother). So I know what I am talking about. I was truly shocked. That kind of thing would not happen even in a third-world country. I know there may be a hospital or two where the food is prepared with some care and thought for the patient, but I fear they are few and far between. P.

Jamie  Posted: 07/10/2008 18:03

I was in Holles St a while back visiting, when the food arrived I almost got sick with the smell. It was some sort of rice and mince dish with a strange colour. God help anyone that had to eat it

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