Have your say: Hospital meals

Health Benefit Limited (HBL) organisation is recommending Northland source our hospital food from Auckland.

Re "Plan to truck hospital meals from Auckland" (Advocate, June 12).

With a growing interest globally and locally in sourcing local, fresher, healthier food it is surprising that the government-owned Health Benefit Limited (HBL) organisation is recommending Northland source our hospital food from Auckland.

HBL's mission is to deliver sustainable world class support for NZ health services. They have partnered with the giant international catering company Compass.

Two options are on the table: trucking frozen meals or re-heating fresh or frozen ingredients from Auckland, and preparing and cooking them in Northland.

Another option that seems to be worthy of consideration is to source locally grown fresh produce (eg Whangarei Growers' Market). This option has significant health benefits and would ensure that those people in hospital, who are in the most need of healthy food, are getting the very best.

This alternative is being used in North America and is demonstrating considerable health and economic benefits to local communities (Google: Farm to Hospital Program).

Our Northland District Health Board will be considering this Auckland-based cost-cutting proposal by the HBL in the coming weeks and have some concerns, which have not been articulated.

The option to source local fresh food seems worthy of investigation before a final decision is made. How sustainable is the Auckland proposal when considering overall costs and benefits to the patients, local economy, transport costs, job losses, redundant kitchens, etc?
Hopefully, our elected health board members will request this further evaluation.

J Griggs
Whangarei

What do you think? Comment below.