BASILDON hospital is among the lowest spenders in the UK when it comes to food.

The NHS Foundation Trust responsible for Basildon Hospital spends an average of £2.42 per person a day on meals – the third lowest of any foundation in the country.

Yet Jenny Galpin, the hospital’s director of facilities, said the low cost was all down to good kitchen management, preparing food in-house and using local food.

She also told how an audit carried out by patient representatives in March declared the standard of food “good” with top marks for choice, quality and portion size.

She said: “There is no relationship between the amount of money spent on each patient’s food and the quality of food they receive.

“We keep our costs low by providing freshly cooked food, prepared in-house and sourced from local suppliers where possible. This is more cost effective than paying a contractor to provide pre-prepared patient meals.

“Our patients are able to choose from a wide variety of meals each day, and any special dietary needs are well catered for.”

However Sandra Jones, 60, of Czarina Rise, Laindon, said she was not surprised the hospital spent so little on its food.

She said: “It’s absolutely disgusting.”

“When I was there the portions they offered were tiny and also a very unappealing colour, plenty of people send them back.”

The figures reveal great regional disparities in the amount hospitals spend on food.

Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Foundation topped the list spending £16.25 per head on food.