The Acute Medical Unit (AMU) in Brighton is the facility which has replaced the Acute Admissions Unit (AAU) at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
The facility was opened as part of a £62 million reconfiguration of the hospital’s Acute Floor, designed to improve patient experience and alleviate pressure on A&E.
Patients and staff working in the new AMU have been shocked to find that, since the move, the decision has been made to stop serving hot meals.
Instead, patients are now being served cold sandwiches and tinned soup.
Cleo Oland is a healthcare assistant who works as bank staff – temporary staff used across the trust to cover for maternity and sickness and in areas with increased demand.
She recently worked a shift in AMU and compared the situation as akin to “wartime rationing”.
The amount of time a patient spends in AMU can vary significantly, from 12 hours up to several days.
She said that patients, some of whom had been in the unit for as long as four days, were not being served hot meals.
This includes a patient who had suffered a stroke, one with wounds on their legs and one on end-of-life care – “all people who should be eating really well”.
“The hospital is serving sandwiches three times a day and Heinz soup for dinner,” she said.
“You get better food in prison. All the nurses are completely shocked and in uproar.
“It seems stripping back basic human needs is what funded all this furniture.
“Food is so tied to health and recovery, and I just can’t understand why you are feeding frail, elderly people a little sandwich.
“I’m disgusted that they’re being allowed to get away with this.
“I was looking after an elderly gentleman who was going to the very expensive hospital shop each day to buy food because he was still hungry, and he didn’t have a mobile phone or visitors.
“Another man had been there for four days, and his family were bringing him meal packages.
“He was fortunate, but most patients don’t have that kind of support. A younger patient could get Deliveroo, but it’s isolating for so many patients.”
The Argus has heard from a number of recent AMU patients who said it was “unacceptable” that they had not been offered hot meals.
Nigel Kee, chief operating officer at University Hospitals Sussex Trust said: “We sincerely apologise to all patients affected by the current limitations in hot meal provision within our new acute medical unit.
“The unit was established to deliver timely care, with the majority of patients either discharged or admitted to a ward within 12 hours.
“During this period, patients have access to a drinks service and can request a light meal such as a sandwich or soup if required.
“We recognise that, at present, many patients are experiencing longer stays than anticipated.
“We are working urgently to expand access to hot meals and, at the same time, focusing on reducing waiting times.
“Both of these improvements are central to enhancing the overall patient experience, and we are committed to making meaningful progress as quickly as possible.”