Roast Vegetable Tart, Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Pie are just some of the options being added to Walsall Healthcare’s menus from this week to tickle patients’ taste buds and help them on the road to recovery.

Eight new meals have been added following feedback via a Food Faves survey that was carried out in the summer and attracted hundreds of responses from patients and their families and carers.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust wanted to find out what sort of food would provide a real pick me up. And from today, as well as the dishes above,  patients will be offered Vegetable Lasagne, Vegetarian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Salmon and Dill Bake and Chicken and Mushroom Pie.

Caroline Whyte, Interim Deputy Director of Nursing, explained that that around 37% of patients may be at risk of malnutrition when they are admitted to hospital and around 8% of patients may lose 5% or more of their body weight during their time in a care setting.

“We carried out the Food Faves survey so we can be sure that when people need to stay in our hospital or be supported by our community services we are offering choices that they will want to eat when they are feeling unwell,” she said.

“As well as leading to malnutrition, poor appetite also affects patients’ medication and treatment which may not work as effectively. By widening the menu choice we hope this encourages appetites and helps patients in their recovery.”

Further food choices are being developed and will be made available from Spring 2021. Gluten free options are also being explored following survey suggestions.