Lunch crunch: End of A&E sandwiches under fire

A RETIRED consultant has slammed Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) for cutting the handing out of sandwiches in a hospital emergency department.

- By RICHARD EVANS Local Democracy Reporter

Ysbyty Glan Clwyd has now stopped providing sandwiches in the emergency department, despite some patients being left for hours in corridors before they are seen.

The health board, which remains in special measures, said it had made the decision based on the advice of its catering and infection prevention teams, due to food hygiene and the “safe storage” of perishable items in a “busy clinical environment”.

An NHS spokeswoman explained: “Patients who remain in the emergency department for more than four hours are now offered prepacked dry food options and fruit, which are safer to store and distribute.