Protest against Dunedin Hospital food

Nearly 200 are protesting in the rain (Dave Goosselink)
Nearly 200 are protesting in the rain (Dave Goosselink)

Nearly 200 are protesting in the rain (Dave Goosselink)

A few hundred people are protesting outside Dunedin Hospital today, angry about the standard of food being served up to patients.

The meals generated headlines after photos were posted to social media last month, but the company who provides them insists its service is improving.

The daughter of a 57-year-old woman who has been in hospital for six weeks says the doctors have asked her to bring in extra food.

Ange Ashton says the meals are not nutritious and her mother was now on a feeding tube to get extra protein.

"I have seen enough [meals] to not want to try them," she says.

Ms Ashton says she went to a protest a year ago about the food and called it "terrible".

"I feel for people that don't have families to bring food in for them every day to help them get better," she says. 

The 'minced and moist' pureed option for patients who can't swallow solids (Dave Goosselink)

Around 40 percent of meals served to patients aren't the standard menu, with about 50 variations for dietary restrictions, allergies, personal preferences and the ability to eat solids.

Compass Group took over the contract last October after the Southern District Health Board outsourced its meal supplier.

Dunedin South MP Clare Curran says she is surprised at the level of anger from protesters. She says she's been contacted by many residents with complaints.

"These are some of our most vulnerable members of our community and they're just not being fed properly," she says.

"No matter what Compass says, no matter what the DHB Commissioners say, the people of Otago and Southland are not happy."

National development manager Lauren Scott says they are working with patients to create a better service.

"We've made some minor changes to the menu, we have identified a couple of menu items that we have swapped out and largely have focused a lot on the presentation of the meals, and making sure that every meal that goes out looks good." 

Ms Scott says customer feedback is being taken on board.

"If we see that a meal is maybe not being chosen much by patients, or if we see that a we are getting a lot of feedback that maybe people don't like the particular flavour of the meal, then we would look at that and change it."

The roast beef with gravy (Dave Goosselink)

The company installed food monitors earlier in the month so patients could provide instant and direct feedback about their meals.

"Compass Group NZ has always been committed to providing an equal if not better food service, for a lower cost," Compass chief operating officer Julian Baldey says.

"Patients and families can be assured that the projected cost savings are being achieved through better buying contracts and a streamlined food service, not a reduction in food quality."

The protest has been organised by Real Meals Coalitions, which includes unions from Southland, Otago and other local organisations. The coalition says they are sick of the DHB "cost-cutting at the expense of nutritious and healthy meals that are made locally, for local people". 

The meals have been labelled as having no nutritional value (Dave Goosselink)

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