Celebrity food buff Loyd Grossman has commended food for patients at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital.

Staff at the JR, in Headington, have been working to improve ward menus, despite having a budget of £3 per patient, per day.

They have brought in new dishes and a 24-hour snack service, so patients can eat whenever they want.

Mr Grossman, chairman of Better Food in Hospitals, said he was impressed by the JR meals, including seafood pasta with dill and Parmesan beef casserole, and sweet and sour chicken.

He said: "People claim that hospital food will never improve because they are big organisations, but we have shown that it can be done. I'm very impressed with the results."

Patient Gladys Bates, 71, of Long Wittenham, near Didcot, said: "It's all lovely, especially the fish with tomatoes and pepper.

"There's a lot of dishes and it's very varied."