A nationwide campaign entitled Food Watch is to discover patient and visitor views on hospital food.
The Forums decided action needed to be taken after receiving complaints on availability, price and quality of hospital food and drink as well as concern about increasing numbers of fast food outlets in hospital foyers.
The Forums will conduct surveys throughout hospitals in England to discover the cost, quality and range of drinks and snacks offered to inpatients and outpatients.
Key issues include temperature of food; menu changes; choices to fit diet, lifestyle or religious considerations; availability of healthy options; cost of refreshments; and help with eating.
Sharon Grant, chair of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) said that, despite many initiatives to improve hospital food for patients, PPI Forums continue to receive information from patients and visitors that food is still being served at the wrong temperature, that some patients are not given adequate time or help to eat their meals and that there are remaining issues surrounding the choice and quality of food provided.
