Some hospital patients in Oxfordshire are getting their families to bring in food because they don't like the meals being served to them.

This is one of the key findings of the national Food Watch campaign, launched by the Patient and Public Involvement Forums following a national survey of more than 2,200 patients.

Ninety patients were surveyed in the county and the results showed many had relatives or friends adding food to what hospital served up.

At the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, 43 per cent of the patients surveyed had their NHS meals supplemented by food brought in by visitors. At the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre the figure was 60 per cent, and 41 per cent at community hospitals run by the South West Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust - now part of the Oxfordshire PCT.

One JR patient told the survey team: "Food (main courses) smelled awful and tasted worse - caused me to vomit on three occasions."

The survey, conducted this summer, looked at the cost, quality and availability of food and drink for patients and visitors.

Jacqui Pearce-Gervis, the PPIF representative for the JR, said: "Hospital food should be of good quality and enjoyable. If it's not, it will not be eaten, and this seems to be borne out by the findings. Not only will this impact upon a patient's recovery, but is a huge waste in terms of NHS money and resources."

Many of the findings contrast with the NHS's Patient Environment Action Team (Peat) results, that appear to claim improvements in hospital food.

Sharon Grant, chairman of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health, which helped coordinate the campaign, said: "These findings are disappointing. Proper nutrition is essential to recovery, both physically and psychologically."

Oliver Francis, a spokesman for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "We're disappointed that the forum chose to focus only on the negative comments made by patients. Their survey of 41 of our patients also showed, for example, that all the patients surveyed had a choice of meal in advance, 90 per cent reported their meal met their religious or dietary needs, 85 per cent found the menu easy to understand and 78 per cent had sufficient time to eat their meal.

A spokesman for the NOC said: "The NOC takes great care in providing food to our patients that is healthy, that is varied and that has been prepared - and maintained - to the high standards of health and safety."

Ruth Atkins, of Oxfordshire PCT, said: "We always welcome feedback from our patients about the services we provide and where they can be improved."

Food feedback

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHSTrust: 41 responses:

22 per cent of patients didn't get the choice of meal they wanted

43 per cent of patients had their

hospital meals supplemented by food brought in by visitors

40 per cent of patients are not getting the help they need to eat their meals

33 per cent of patients left their meal because it looked, smelt or tasted unappetising

42 per cent of patients were given meals that were at the wrong temperature

Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre Trust : 12 responses:

0 per cent of patients didn't get the choice of meal they wanted

60 per cent of patients had their hospital meals supplemented by food brought in by visitors

57 per cent of patients are not getting the help they need to eat their meals

42 per cent of patients left their meal because it looked, smelt or tasted unappetising

17 per cent of patients were given meals that were at the wrong temperature

South West Oxfordshire PCT: 37 responses:

13 per cent of patients didn't get the choice of meal they wanted

41 per cent of patients had their hospital meals supplemented by food brought in by visitors

12 per cent of patients are not getting the help they need to eat their meals nine per cent of patients left their meal because it looked, smelt or tasted unappetising

17 per cent of patients were given meals that were at the wrong temperature