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Home > Patients and Visitors > Inpatients > Hospital food

Hospital food

Getting the right meals that satisfy a patient’s nutritional needs, as well as their taste, is important in ensuring a quicker recovery.

Good nutrition is such an important part of staying healthy, especially for people who are recovering from illness or injury. Full details of the catering service can be found in a patient information booklet by the bedside. Most special diets can be catered for. Patients who feel we aren’t meeting their dietary needs should speak to the ward staff. A pictorial menu available is also available on the ward and supplied to patients as and when required. The menus, created in different languages, can also be viewed on the intranet by ward staff.

Special requirements

We know from experience that food can play a big part in a patient’s recovery process. Our menus have been nutritionally analysed for coding as per the British Dietetic Association toolkit. Our catering staff work in close partnership with our dieticians to enable us to cater for a wide range of special diets and nutritional needs including:

  • Dysphagia (swallowing problems)
  • Halal
  • Kosher
  • Gluten free
  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan

Patient food service information booklet

Protected meal times

Protected mealtimes are periods where non-urgent clinical activities stop on hospital wards during meal service. This means the patient can eat without being interrupted and staff can offer assistance. Research has shown that patients who are not interrupted and receive the appropriate support during mealtimes are happier, more relaxed and eat more. If the patients have a good nutritional intake their chances of recovery are improved.

We are happy for visitors to visit at mealtimes in order to help relatives to eat or to give encouragement. Please ask the nurse in charge how you can help out.

Hospital meal times

Please avoid entering the ward, visiting or telephoning during times so that the nursing staff can help with the delivery of the meals and assist patients.

County Hospital, Louth

  • Lunch time: 12 noon to 2pm (includes rest period)
  • Evening meals: 5pm to 6pm

Grantham and District Hospital

  • Lunch time: 12 noon to 2pm (includes rest period)
  • Evening meals: 5pm to 6pm

Lincoln County Hospital

  • Lunch time: 12 noon to 2pm (includes rest period)
  • Evening meals: 5pm to 6pm

Pilgrim Hospital

  • Boston Lunch time: 12 noon to 2pm (includes rest period)
  • Evening meals: 5:30pm to 6:30pm

All patients will be given a menu card on a daily basis to select their days meals from a choice of nutritious dishes suitable to meet the needs of their diet. Each meal can be ordered in advance and a choice of portion size (small, medium and large) is offered on the menu card or at the point of service.

We are always looking for ways to improve our services and so patients also have a section on the menu card to comment on their food. Retail catering facilities are available around the Trust to be used by patients, visitors and staff.