Hospital canteens in poor health

Hospitals have often been criticised for the quality of patients' meals, but Which? has found that hospital canteen food fares little better.

The consumer organisation sent dietitians to test catering facilities at 21 hospitals across the UK. Against Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines, 18 of the 21 main meals (86%) contained too much salt; 14 (67%) contained too much saturated fat and 11 (52%) contained too much fat.

Which? also surveyed more than 1,500 people who had eaten in a hospital canteen in the previous year. Around one in five were disappointed with the options available. One customer said: "Lots of dishes in the canteen were served with chips and high in fat. This surprised me, as the hospital is dedicated solely to heart surgery."

Only four of the 21 hospitals Which? investigated signposted a healthy option on their menu. Vegetarian hot meals were sold at all hospitals visited by the dietitians, but in 13 cases they were cheese-based and high in fat.

It isn't all bad news as 47% of those surveyed thought the quality of hospital canteen food was excellent or good. And Which? researchers did find examples of good practice. Two hospitals - East Surrey Hospital and University College Hospital, London - provided meals within FSA guidelines; three hospitals provided nutrition labelling, making it easier for people to choose healthier options; and five had healthy eating promotions around the hospital.

The NHS is the largest employer in the UK, with around 1.5 million staff. It serves more than 300 million meals a year, mainly to staff, visitors and out-patients in hospital canteens.

Nikki Ratcliff, Head of Services Research, Which?, says: "Hospitals have a responsibility to serve and promote healthy food, so the situation at the moment is farcical. Although we did find some examples of good practice, most hospitals we visited really need to raise their game.

"Our results show there's a need for better signposting and labelling to help customers eat more healthily. We'd like to see nutritious options promoted, so the healthy choice becomes the easy choice."