Hospital food plan yuck, says Grey Power figure

Plans to centralise hospital food and provide reheated Meals on Wheels sounds "yuck", a local Grey Power member says.

The Government is proposing an overhaul of the provision of hospital meals with an estimated saving of up to $175 million over 15 years.

Rotorua Grey Power president Rosemary MacKenzie said she was not a fan of proposals to "streamline" the service - which would see the meals prepared in two main hubs, transported to the regions and reheated.

"I'm not very impressed with the idea of everything being centralised and cooked and frozen from a distance ... urgh.

"I don't think there'd be any problem with the nutritional value of it, [however] I think the appearance of it probably would [suffer].

"There's certain foods you just can't do that kind of thing with and people of our age need fresh food, not processed stuff."

While Wheels on Meals provides hot food to Rotorua pensioners, Mrs MacKenzie was not aware of any house-bound Grey Power members who relied on the service.

Thousands of vulnerable Kiwi pensioners receiving hot lunches through Meals on Wheels will be hit by government plans to out-source hospital food services, Labour health spokeswoman Annette King said.

The plan has been drawn up by Health Benefits, a government-owned organisation set up to find savings by reducing duplication and administration costs.

Health Minister Tony Ryall confirmed there would be staffing cuts, but declined to say how many. Closing or downsizing some of the nation's 39 hospital kitchens hasn't been ruled out.