"Vegan Menu"

I was admitted to hospital with pneumonia after a dog bite and was kept in for 4 nights for tests in the Acute Assessment Unit and later transferred to ward B32. I was quite ill and had lost weight.

When the kitchen staff member came round to ask what I wanted for dinner I advised them I was vegan. I was told there weren’t any vegan options available therefore I ended up with a cup of orange juice for dinner. 

In the morning when the staff came round, again I mentioned I was vegan - I was informed that being vegan was a lifestyle choice and not a dietary requirement, therefore I couldn’t be catered for.  I take offence at this as being vegan is my lifestyle choice and should be respected as other lifestyle choices are.  

If my Vegan lifestyle could not be catered for then at the very least the hospital could have tried to be a little more flexible in accommodating my requirements by making it easier for my husband to bring me in vegan food which I could store in a fridge and warm up where necessary. This didn’t happen as there was inconsistent advice being given by staff which added to my stress at a time when I was quite unwell.

In the first few days all I was offered that I could take was juice, toast and  soup. My husband brought me in soya milk, fruit juice and a home made vegan meals. The staff in the new ward put these items in the fridge. 

When it came to lunchtime I was told that they could not heat my meal as they didn’t have a microwave, and even if they did have facilities to do this, they wouldn’t be allowed to heat it up. I was given a plate of rice and veg for dinner that evening. I asked if my husband could bring me in food that didn’t require heated up but this time was informed that I was not be permitted to keep it in the fridge. I had to keep the food in my bedside cabinet. 

As you can imagine by this point I was not only ill but becoming extremely distressed and upset with the inconsistent treatment around my diet.  I was in hospital to get better, and part of recovery is having a suitable diet  and it seemed the hospital rules and/or the staff were just being downright awkward or judgemental. I was made to feel  like I was the one causing an issue.

On the last morning of my stay a new staff member came round asking for the food choices that day. When she came to me I said it’s ok I bring my own food as I’m vegan. She advised me that there was indeed a separate vegan menu with around 7 choices. She went out of her way to find this menu and ordered me a warm lunch with a large bowl of soup. She couldn’t have  been any more accommodating and was so kind and helpful.

I simply do not understand why there was so much inconsistency in the advice and this certainly did not aid my recovery. I wanted to bring this to your attention as I felt this was bordering on being discriminatory. I am vegan for ethical reasons and the health benefits. Various other lifestyle choices are accommodated for such as halal and kosher. It seemed that some staff up until the last day were either being extremely unhelpful, lazy or had an issue with my dietary choices.