THE number of chef's specials at Airedale Hospital is to increase in a bid to offer patients a greater choice at meal times.

From June the hospital trust is to provide two chef's specials for patients instead of the one currently offered.

The special menus have been devised by a team, including television chef Loyd Grossman, as part of the Government's better hospital food programme .

The programme contains a number of key elements, including 24-hour service, a national menu containing a continental style of breakfast, three chef's specials a day and the introduction of new ward housekeepers.

Due to cash restraints Airedale has only been able to provide one chef's special a day up until now.

The hospital is also going to implement the whole of the better food programme for a trial one month period on Ward 15.

Director of planning and marketing Doug Farrow, said: "We have an assessment of what the full costs of the NHS menu would be, but we would like to test it out on one ward."

Director of nursing and quality Sue Franks said that elderly patients were not getting the right dietary requirements from the continental breakfast as many didn't eat their bread rolls.

She said: "We are finding, mostly with elderly patients, that they don't really tolerate bread rolls for breakfast, so it could be an issue as they are not getting the right nutritional requirements in their breakfast."

Mrs Franks added that the trust still provided porridge at breakfast, which did provide adequate nutrition.