After a flood of complaints about hospital food, city’s MP tries the meals for himself

With the finest cuisine, bone china plates and a plush terrace overlooking the River Thames, it is a far cry from Southamp-ton’s hospital wards.

But city MP John Denham took time out from the corridors of power to try out the controversial new meals that have left some patients at boiling point.

Sitting in a matron’s office at Southampton General Hospital, he sampled three dishes that are served up on the wards.

And his verdict on the dishes of the day will taste a lot sweeter to bosses behind the new £17m five-year meals contract than those of some of the hospital patients.

Taking a forkful from each plate, the Communities Secre-tary tucked first into a dish of steamed salmon fillet served with sliced potatoes in a creamy sauce and steamed cabbage.

He then tried a mouthful of cauliflower and broccoli cheese accompanied by sliced potatoes.

To complete his trio of tastings the MP finished off by munching on an omelette, served with potatoes in a cream sauce and garden peas.

“Given that this is mass catering and that I was served the food as soon as it was cooked I would give it seven out of ten,” said Mr Denham, who has been inundated by patients complaining about the food.

“All three of the meals were perfectly fine. They were the sort of meals you might get in a pub or something of that sort.

“Anybody who has bought a supermarket meal and heated it at home would probably have tasted something very similar.

“Nothing is ever going to be to everybody’s taste. I think the issue is do the patients get it when they need it and when they expect it?”

During his visit to see the hospital’s catering arrangements, Mr Denham met managers from Medirest, the private catering company that last year won the contract to provide meals at Southampton General and Princess Anne Hospitals.

Under the new Steamplicity system, which was rolled out last month, the hospital meals are pre-prepared in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and then steamcooked in microwaves on the wards. Medirest bosses insist the new menu is more extensive, tastier and more flexible.

Patients’ complaints about meals turning up late and disgusting food prompted Mr Denham to demand improvements.

He said: “I think everyone accepts that, as a new system, it did not work perfectly from the beginning. Meals were late, drinks were not always on time. It’s not there yet.

“But what I have been promised is that there is a four-week recovery plan in place which we are halfway through.

“On March 5 we will know how successful everyone has been in getting all meals delivered to patients at the right time, when they want them.”

A hospital spokesman said that, as part of the four-week action plan, the trust, in co-operation with Medirest, will conduct weekly audits across all ward areas checking meal delivery times and drinks rounds.

The spokesman added that they would monitor drinks delivery to ensure that patients received five drinks per day and that Medirest had brought in five extra supervisors.