IN A SHORT letter, it is not possible to cover every improvement needed to make our NHS better, so I will concentrate on the issue of nutrition for patients.

I have to go into North Manchester General hospital for treatment for heart failure on a regular basis. I have observed the poor quality of hospital food on many occasions. It is full of sugar, salt, fat and gunge.

For example, for breakfast the patient is served buttered toast and cereals. That is all. No fresh fruit, nuts and soya milk. No fresh fruit juice or muesli.

We should be complaining about this; hospitals have patient liaison committees, but they are often toothless bodies. We need nurses, doctors and ancillary staff, with patient representatives, to assert their potential power on nutrition and many other medical issues.

At Manchester Children’s Hospital, the management, for profit reasons, allows the hospital to advertise McDonald’s junk food.

It’s an absolute disgrace that such poor-quality food, full of sugar, salt and fat, is promoted to adults and children.

There is so much that needs to be done to improve health and food standards.

MERVYN DRAGE
Manchester