A REAL stew was stirred up when hospital food in Blackburn was described as 'slop.'

First, we had claims that the comments by Central Lancashire University research fellow Samantha Pollitt had been 'taken out of context'. Then, it turned out that the grub she allegedly roasted - that devised by TV gourmet Loyd Grossman as part of a £40million government campaign to spice up NHS menus - isn't on offer in Blackburn hospitals yet anyway.

Unions, staff and health watchdogs sizzled with fury over the report. Even Trust boss John Thomas leapt to the defence of his hospitals' grub.

Yet, does not all this fuss highlight a fundamental flaw in the whole business of catering for patients - that of the NHS being not only expected to feed them at public expense, but also that it should ensure that the food is tasty? But why on earth should the NHS service be responsible for feeding people when they are in hospital? It's a health service, not a restaurant chain. With all the pressures on it to cut waiting lists and improve recovery rates -- and do so at the same time with never enough money -- could not the NHS do without the responsibility and bother of feeding people just because they are sick and in hospital.

In short, should not people or their families be responsible, or at least be made to pay for all the non-medical services they receive in hospital - everything from food and linen to cleaning and TV - just as they would if they were accommodated in a hotel? The reduction in expense and complaints would be immense - especially when we are told more than £18 million-worth of hospital food a year is wasted.