Patients skip bland hospital food and order meal deliveries
FOOD delivery services like UberEats, Deliveroo and Foodora are cashing in on dodgy hospital food by dropping off emergency takeaway meals for hungry bedridden patients.
NSW
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FOOD delivery services are cashing in on dodgy hospital food by dropping off emergency takeaway meals for hungry bedridden patients.
UberEats, Deliveroo and Foodora have seen a boom in demand for their services at Sydney hospitals with burgers and Thai popular choices for patients, their families and medical staff.
Patients are even instructing delivery drivers which hospital ward and floor to bring their food to.
The Daily Telegraph yesterday observed multiple food delivery services dropping off food at St Vincent’s Hospital, which is located in the foodie hub of Darlinghurst.
St Vincent’s is the hospital most frequented by food delivery services followed by Prince of Wales and RPA, according to Foodora.
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Foodora has also seen demand from Sydney Children’s Hospital, Royal North Shore, Sydney Eye Hospital, Manly Hospital and Westmead Private Hospital.
Its figures reveal the most popular food for hospital orders is Thai, dumplings, Vietnamese, sandwiches, salads and burgers.
“With regard to the delivery process itself, unless the customer specifies which floor (or) room they would like the order to be delivered, typically rider meets the customer at the main entrance of the hospital,” a Foodora spokeswoman said.
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The majority of orders for hospital food come during lunch and dinner but there is also a jump between 3pm and 4pm with staff regularly ordering more than two meals from Foodora.
A St Vincent’s Hospital spokesman said food delivery services are especially popular on the orthopaedics ward where people can be stuck in rehabilitation for weeks. They have no specific policy on food delivery.
The service is not as prevalent at St Vincent’s Mater Hospital in North Sydney which satisfies appetites with a deluxe room service menu. The menu slashed food waste by 84 per cent and plate wastage by 28 per cent.
Uber Eats NSW general manager Richard Menzies said it welcomed discussions on ensuring food deliveries worked for hospital staff and other patients.
A Deliveroo spokeswoman said it provided a bedside service if allowed by the hospital.
A HealthShare NSW spokeswoman said patients were “encouraged” to check with nurses and doctors before they order in food to ensure it was suitable for their illness.
“In general, food can be delivered to hospitals by the external food supplier or delivery service during visiting hours and in accordance with patient/family instructions. Each hospital is responsible for managing access,” she said.
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Originally published as Patients skip bland hospital food and order meal deliveries
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