FEARS about the catering department at the Alexandra Hospital have been allayed after a recent investigation.

Bromsgrove Councillor David McGrath decided to visit the unit after concerns were voiced during a meeting of the Health and Leisure Scrutiny Committee last month, about preparation and quality of food served to hospital patients.

In a report for the committee, former nurse Mr McGrath said he was escorted by head of services Val Harris and catering manager Neil Watson-Jones through the kitchen and cook-chill area to see how food was stored, prepared and cooked.

He said: "We were very pleased to see food was prepared on the same site and was pretty good.

"Most patients were happy with the quality and taste of the food and only those who were clearly quite ill were unable to eat their meals."

But Mr McGrath added he was concerned food was distributed at the same time as lunchtime medication was administered on the wards.

"I am concerned for those patients who may be too ill to feed themselves, that by the time nurses are free to feed them their food may not be as hot and fresh as it was," he said.

"Hospital meals should be nutritious and provide the right amount of vitamins but at the same time food should be tasty, appetising and hot."

But a Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust spokeswoman said a case such as this, where food was distributed while medication was administered, was an exceptional case and not the norm.

She said: "On occasion a ward round might overrun and coincide with lunchtimes but we are very aware of the needs of the patients and ward staff do their best to ensure washing, medication and cleaning is carried out at an allotted time and not during mealtimes."

She said the trust operated under a "protected meals policy", where mealtimes were granted a designated time and patients who needed help with feeding were given the necessary attention.

Mr McGrath said overall, he was pleased with the outcome of the visit and added a forthcoming investigation would be undertaken into determining the nutritional content of the food.