Visiting Hospital?

niallwallace

Sometimes it seems companies with outlets at hospitals are milking the perception that they are the only option. Believe me they are not.

Where I work there is a Smiths and a "Metropole" cafe + take away on the main concourse, the Med School has an outlet of the Student Association shop, many vending machines and outlets operated by the Boards Catering Department.

As I remember Smiths charge around £3.50 for a decent sandwich, £1.50 for a 500ml bottle and 80p for crisps (big size only)

Metropole have a permanent meal deal covering the above, allbeit with only a normal pack of crisps for £2.50. As the day goes on they reduce the price of the left over sandwiches as well.

The Students Association shop charge "normal" prices and are based in a public area of the Med school. Well worth the extra effort of finding it.
£1 to £3 for the sandwich (depending on filling), £0.89 for a bottle of juice and £0.35 for the crisps.

Catering services although as a visitor you shouldn't be charged staff prices on hot food other items are priced "normally" with the prices roughly matching that of the Student Association, though in this case a carton of apple juice is 10p more expensive!

An example of a good deal I can get is a well filled (done to order) Tortilla wrap for £2.10 from the Student/Staff canteen in the Med School, I once walked into the Student Association shop with one of these while the manageress was taking her sandwich supplier to task over the contents of his goods. 50p for a 250ml carton of apple juice and a bar of chocolate for 52p Total £3.12.
How much was that WH Smiths Sandwich?

BTW. Vending machines want 90p for a bottle of juice and one of them is in front of Smiths!

Most of this is knowing what is available in the hospital, if you are staff you can get info from your colleagues but they may not travel far to get their food os accept higher prices.

To find out what is available in a hopsital for visitors, staff or patients the people to ask are not Office Staff, Doctors or Nurses (see above).

The people to ask in a hospital are Estates staff and Porters. They walk around the building constantly, and have learnt where almost everything they need to know about is. This applies to looking for wards as well. A Gynecology nurse probably hasn't been to the specialist Burns unit, A&E or Ward 14d.

Nile

Hello niallwallace

Welcome to the MSE site.:wave:

I'd like to add another tip about hospital visiting.............if you have to pay for car parking.

For certain wards (eg ICU or the Stroke Ward) the visitor can buy a parking permit for a month, which will work out cheaper than paying the daily parking charges. Ask the ward sister or nurse if their ward issues the permits.

Regards

Nile