Hospital food spend varies across West Midlands and Staffordshire
Hospital patients face a postcode lottery when it comes to how much money is spent on their daily meals, new NHS figures reveal.
The amount varies widely across the region from £7.45 in Sandwell and West Birmingham to £13.89 in Mid-Staffordshire.
The amount spent per meal in 2011/12 at Wolverhampton's New Cross was £8.72 while £10.14 was spent in Walsall, £12.55 in Worcestershire and £12.90 in Dudley.
Hospital trusts say they aim to provide healthy and nutritious meals and offer a variety of choice regardless of how much is spent on food.
Many sites offer a choice of menus catering for allergies and and a range of different dietary requirements.
Wards
Wards also provide a range of snacks, toast, hot drinks and bottled water 24 hours a day.
Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital recently invested around £5 million revolutionising its catering service.
Since March 2010 a hi-tech facility has been in place that cooks meals, which are rapidly chilled to below 4C (39F) and stored for up to four days.
The meals are then "regenerated" on the wards and served piping hot.
Chief executive for Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: "The trust takes the nutrition of our patients very seriously and we are committed to providing a healthy menu for our patients."
