A watchdog’s inspection of the West Suffolk Hospital has found it is meeting essential standards, but has suggested some improvements are made.

They found that the hospital was compliant, but voiced minor concerns in three areas – care and welfare of patients, nutrition and cleanliness and infection control.

They noted that some occasions meals are left to go cold as all courses were served together, individual information about patient’s nutritional needs was not always documented on the patient’s information board and clinical waste was moved through a ward during meal service.

This does not present any infection-related or other risk, but is unnecessarily rude and obtrusive. The general welfare of patients while in hospital is of great importance. Care during meal times ensures good nutrition, and quite often some rest from the hustle and bustle of a busy ward. I wonder if that was how the inspectors were thinking, or perhaps with a blinkered and ill-conceived concern of infection risk that would be far more apparent than real.