Why don't patients pay for hospital meals? (From York Press)
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Why don't patients pay for hospital meals?
9:32am Monday 6th September 2010 in
WHY doesn’t this Government make people going into hospital pay for their food?
The majority of people in this country spend at least £5 a day. And this is the amount I believe should be charged to patients. Where outside can you get three meals a day for £5, and a choice of meals?
Maybe the income would not be a great deal. But it would be welcomed into hospital coffers.
Also talking about cuts, why doesn’t the Government consider removing the many subsidised restaurants and bars in the House of Commons?
These facilities are used by well-paid people who can afford to pay full prices like everyone else.
Also, a large amount of public money could be saved by removing a lot of people from the House of Lords.
Many members are in very old age and are not fit enough to make decisions affecting the country.
Cuts must be fair and not one-sided.
Tom Mitchell, Mendip Close, Huntington, York.
Comments(11)
Silver
says...
10:45am Mon 6 Sep 10
wildthing
says...
12:03pm Mon 6 Sep 10
I went in hospital weighing 114.5KG a month later I came out weighing 70.7KG, 10KG less than when I was first put on medication over 10 years ago. In the month I spent in hospital my weight was not monitored, unless it was done by sight only and they thought I looked overweight so reduced the portions.
When I went into hospital the only money I had was to pay the rent, because the JSA was stopped because I couldn't sign on, so give someone the choice about keeping a roof over their head and food most would choose the roof over their head for when they got out and leave the hospital at the first opportunity.
NICE CHOICE OF WORDS TO ENTER INTO THE BOX
FLAT- LINE
Silver
says...
12:57pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Cold_as_Christmas
says...
7:44pm Mon 6 Sep 10
After about 6 weeks, a pensioner will have deductions of income made. Someone working can't earn a wage and someone unemployed can't seek work. Most of us would lose money by being in hospital for any length of time and so the idea of making them even worse off rather repulses me.
old_geezer
says...
8:23pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Also, this week the subsidising of Westminster catering comes to an end.
Silver
says...
8:35pm Mon 6 Sep 10
Healthcare and duty of care are not privileges they are a human right
old_geezer
says...
2:17pm Tue 7 Sep 10
Stevie D
says...
12:15pm Wed 8 Sep 10
.
It would also lead to questions over the fairness of the price, and I have no doubt that some hospitals would treat food the same way as they treat phone calls - they have a monopoly situation, they will ban any incoming food to maintain that monopoly, and then they will crank the price up to squeeze patients for all they can.
Silver
says...
7:54pm Wed 8 Sep 10
Stevie D wrote:Or you'd get take away services from the best restaurant in 50 miles whilst others had to pay the same price and got barely anything
Agree with old_geezer. The logistics of collecting the money would make it impractical. For people who are seriously ill in hospital, the last thing that they or their family need to deal with is having to pay for hospital meals.
.
It would also lead to questions over the fairness of the price, and I have no doubt that some hospitals would treat food the same way as they treat phone calls - they have a monopoly situation, they will ban any incoming food to maintain that monopoly, and then they will crank the price up to squeeze patients for all they can.
petethefeet
says...
12:58am Thu 9 Sep 10
wildthing wrote:So, in 4 weeks, you dropped 44KG? That's over 7 stone? I'm sorry for being unsympathetic but it appears to me that you missed a trick. Losing 96lb in 28 days is defo a world record and you've certainly missed a big pay-day with slimmer-of-the-year, Guiness book of records, etc, etc
On my last stay in hospital, early this year, if I had been expected to pay for meals I would have wanted a lot more than what I was given, I as always hungry, even though most of the first week I was out cold unable to eat, the portions given on the wards were barely enough to keep you alive. I went in hospital weighing 114.5KG a month later I came out weighing 70.7KG, 10KG less than when I was first put on medication over 10 years ago. In the month I spent in hospital my weight was not monitored, unless it was done by sight only and they thought I looked overweight so reduced the portions. When I went into hospital the only money I had was to pay the rent, because the JSA was stopped because I couldn't sign on, so give someone the choice about keeping a roof over their head and food most would choose the roof over their head for when they got out and leave the hospital at the first opportunity. NICE CHOICE OF WORDS TO ENTER INTO THE BOX FLAT- LINE
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gramps says...
10:37am Mon 6 Sep 10