PATIENTS at an East Lancashire hospital are looking forward to trying out a new a La Carte meal service.

A taste trial to test the posh new menu will be carried out on Thursday and Friday on wards C6 and C8, which are general medical wards at Queens Park Hospital, Blackburn.

If the menu, which includes a much wider selection of dishes than before, is a success it will be gradually introduced throughout the hospital.

The new service will cover the lunch and dinner periods and patients will be able to order food between 11.30am and 2pm and between 4.30 and 7pm rather than filling in a menu request form the day before. Food will then be delivered to patients within 30 minutes.

Marlene Lettherd, 48, who was admitted to C6 with asthma complications, said: "The food as it is is lovely and I think there's plenty of choice but it's a good idea to let you choose soon before you eat as people do change their minds, especially if you've had treatment."

But Margaret Davies, who was admitted with a heart problem, said: "I was a chef for 40 years and the food here is average, it could definitely be better.

"The choice is restricted and it's very boring.

"Lancashire people like down to earth food, we don't want anything fancy but do want a choice of tasty dishes.

"The a La Carte menu looks much better."

A typical lunch menu for the hospital currently includes four main meals, side vegetables and a choice of desserts.

A supper menu includes soup or juice to start, five mains, accompaniments and desserts.

But the a La Carte menu has a much wider selection, offering everything from steak to mandarin and coffee gateau.

Terry Wilson, Catering Manager at Queen's Park Hospital, said: "We hope that the new service will provide greater choice and also enable us to give patients what they want, so reducing wastage."