Cuts may result in outsourced frozen meals for patients

Hospital patients may have to eat outsourced frozen meals from another part of the country as part of cost-cutting measures.

The HSE is considering the yet-to-be-finalised plan at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, because its retired catering manager has not been replaced.

Under the proposal, food would be transferred at weekends from the Central Processing Unit, Mullingar.

A HSE spokesperson that said while no decision had been made, “in the current financial climate the hospital must review all of its services to ensure efficiencies and cost effectiveness”.

However, local councillor Catherine Fitzgerald said there should be serious concerns about the potential move, noting some patients require special diets.

The issue emerged a day after the Irish Examiner revealed that when overhead and other support costs were excluded, the meal spend for hospitals hit a low of €2.03 per meal at Waterford Regional Hospital last year (€2.13 in 2006, €2.21 in 2008).

While the nutritional content on hospital food cannot be confirmed based on the level of spending alone, the figures show that overall, national hospital catering budgets have slumped 20% since 2008.

At the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise, average meal costs have fallen from €4.94 in 2006 to €4.86 in 2008, to €2.78 last year.

In response to the figures, Health Minister Dr James Reilly is being urged to ask that all public hospital meals include calorie-level labels in line with similar plans set to be implemented across the restaurant industry.

Stephen McMahon, the chairman of the Irish Patients’ Association, said the move should be considered to assure people they were receiving a good standard of nutritional meals while in hospital. “If the minister is looking to clamp down on the calorific content at all restaurants, which is a good thing, then he should start on his own patch.”

Mr McMahon also raised questions over what percentage of the overall cost — including overheads and related issues — meals given to patients account for.

A weekend report said this per meal figure ranged between €2.46 and €40.60 at unnamed hospitals during a three-month period recently.

The Department of Health and the HSE has an expert group, which includes nutritionists, which is tasked with keeping patient meals at a high standard while reducing costs.

John Swords, HSE head of procurement, yesterday told RTÉ Radio’s News At One costs were being reduced “without comprising on the quality” of meals.

He also said variations in cost between hospitals are due to the “different quality services” they provide.

* Food and Nutritional Care in Hospitals guidelines are available at www.dohc.ie