Patients share horror food stories from hospitals across Sydney
Patients have shared photos of nightmare meals they’ve been served while receiving treatment at hospitals across NSW after a breastfeeding mum was given an unrecognisable slab of meat at Campbelltown Hospital.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Hospital food horror stories aren’t new but The Daily Telegraph has been flooded with people sharing pictures of their own nightmare meals following outrage over the experience one Sydney mum recently endured.
From Newcastle to Sydney, people have vented about food they described as unrecognisable and, in some cases, inedible.
The outpouring follows the story of Eileen, a breastfeeding mum on a strict gluten and dairy-free diet because of her son’s allergies, who underwent a medical procedure at Campbelltown Hospital only to be served a slab of dry unrecognisable meat and two boiled potatoes.
HealthShare NSW, which looks after patient food, said Eileen’s meal was “unacceptable” and would contact her to apologise and investigate the incident.
“We understand how important it is that all patients get the nutrition they need while in hospital, regardless of their dietary requirements,” a spokesperson said.
“We are contacting the patient to apologise for this unacceptable standard of meal and get their valuable feedback. We are also investigating how this occurred.”
Carmen Wells commented on The Telegraph’s Facebook page about her stay at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital after seeing Eileen’s story.
Ms Wells was hospitalised from July 16-26 due to liver failure.
“It’s a long-running joke in the hospital about how bad the food is - the doctors were having a laugh when they came around, checking what I’d ordered,” Ms Wells said.
“The lasagne tasted like cardboard and was inedible. My family brought food and I walked down to the cafe.
“I received a courtesy call after being discharged and complained about the food. They just said ‘everybody complains about the food’.
“I just can’t believe this is the quality of food being served when the government can afford to spend $2b on stadiums in Sydney.”
Kelly Ryan said she had a bad experience at Liverpool Hospital during a 2017 stay.
“It was tuna sauce over pasta with boiled potato balls and something else and the smell was disgusting,” Ms Ryan said.
“(They have) a Subway store so I went downstairs with my mother.
“I am a diabetic so pasta and potato is something I rarely eat but it looked like vomit on my plate.
“My grandmother used to work in the kitchen of Campbelltown Hospital and when I had children she told me to order sandwiches as at least they were edible.”
Meanwhile, a poll run by The Telegraph with a picture of Eileen’s food asked readers to try and identify the meat the hospital dished up to her: Chicken or pork?
Up to 77 per cent of readers guessed the meat was pork … It was chicken.