MEALTIMES at hospitals do not have the best reputation and a study by Healthwatch Windsor and Maidenhead has found that there is room for improvement in this area at Wexham Park Hospital.

The charity interviewed more than 100 patients and staff for the Wexham Park Mealtime Experience Study.

Sally Brittain, Deputy Director of Nursing HWP for Frimley Health NHS Trust said: “The report will be shared with the wider team and across Frimley Health for the learning points and I look forward to continuing to work with Healthwatch WAM to improve patient experience.”

Patients were asked about choosing meals and drinks, the choice and quality on offer, assistance given and hygiene at mealtimes, whereas staff talked about how patients’ nutritional needs were assessed, the monitoring of food and drink intake and the impact of open visiting on ‘protected’ mealtimes.

The study found that patients in hospital for a short stay were happy with mealtimes but longer stay patients highlighted a limited range of menu choices.

It also highlighted a current lack of consistency in working practices as it discovered that policies and procedures are implemented differently ward by ward, indicating a need for staff training.

However, most patients were aware of meal choices and hot food was mostly served at the right temperature, was of sufficient quality and quantity and assistance was given when needed.