Meals given to patients at Amman Valley Hospital has been described as ‘inedible’ and concerns have been raised by friends and family members.

Rosemary Cole, of Penygroes, visited her 86-year-old friend who has been a patient at the Glanaman-based hospital for three months on Monday, May 28.

During Rosemary’s visit conversation turned to the concerns with the food being served at the hospital.

Rosemary said: “My friend’s daughter takes her something to eat everyday so she can have at least one decent meal a day.

“I am concerned about this as not all patients have family who live nearby to bring them something edible.

“Past and present patients have complained about the quality of food they are expected to eat and apparently most of it ends up in the bin”.

Rosemary’s friend described one of her recent meals as “two lumps of jelly soups” and “couldn’t even tell what it was supposed to be”.

Another former patient allegedly requested to move hospitals because the food was so bad.

The kitchen at Amman Valley Hospital is no longer in use and it is believed that food is brought in by an outside catering company.

“During my visit staff agreed with the patents and they have apparently complained to no avail,” added Rosemary, a former nurse.

“Most patients are there to recover but they don’t stand of getting much better with poor dietary intake and are at risk of developing pressure areas and further problems.

“Even the staff were saying that they could never eat it.”

Tim Baines, Head of Specialist Services for Hywel Dda University Health Board said: "We have not received any complaints about the catering service at Amman Valley Hospital, or Prince Philip Hospital, who are catered for by the same supplier, and we welcome feedback to continually improve the high standards of catering that is provided in our hospitals.

"We are sorry to hear of this lady’s experience and strongly encourage the patient and her family to speak with the Sister on the ward or our catering manager about her concerns so that we can offer alternative options.

"We are pleased to confirm that we offer a wide range of menu choices and cater for a variety of dietary requirements including vegan, gluten free and diabetic options. This diverse range of meals has been well received and has generated positive feedback from our patients."