The family of an 84-year-old patient at Hull Royal Infirmary say they are shocked after he was served an “inedible” lunch.
The picture of the food was taken by the elderly patient’s relatives after it was served to him on Thursday.
The family of the elderly man, who had suffered a broken arm before doctors later discovered he had bone cancer, said they “wouldn’t even feed it to the horses”.
He had just had his arm reset following a two hour operation and was on the road to recovery when his lunch was provided to him by hospital staff in what was a five week stay.
The patient’s son-in-law told Hull Live: “It’s supposed to be a corned beef and pickle sandwich – but not even a pickle in sight. There’s no butter or anything. Just a tiny bit of corned beef – that’s all he had.
“There was also suppose to be an apple crumble, but it was inedible and they then took it away.
“We understood that this is what he had for five weeks and we only just realised. I’ve never seen anything so bad and I’ve been in the army surviving on rations.
“It’s the worse thing I have ever seen – and that’s why he didn’t eat it. I wouldn’t even feed it to the horses.”
Neil Woods, catering services manager for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Hospital patients are given a choice of meals every day.
“The choice includes hot and cold options, and is tailored to the patient’s specific health needs and any dietary requirements.
“All of our meal choices meet the British Dietetic Association’s Nutrition & Hydration Digest requirements and are audited regularly by our team of dieticians.
“Good nutrition is an important part of any patient’s recovery, and we are sorry if we have fallen short of expectations on this occasion.
“We would always encourage patients or their relatives to raise any concerns about food with us directly, at the time a meal is served. Where a patient feels they have cause for complaint, we would always look to offer an alternative.”
Tom Kershaw is a senior reporter for Hull Live and the Hull Daily Mail. He is currently covering breaking news in Hull and East Yorkshire.
You can follow all the latest stories on his Facebook page here, his Twitter page here or on the Hull Live website here.
You can also call him on 01482 315266, or email him: thomas.kershaw@reachplc.com.
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