The NHS trust which oversees Watford General Hospital spends just over £11 a day feeding each patient, it has been revealed this week.

Figures released on Tuesday showed West Herts Hospital Trust was one of the biggest spenders on hospital food in the country. Some other trusts spend less than £3 per patient per day.

More than 30 hospital trusts nationwide were shown to spend less than £5 a day on meals for patients.

The lowest spending trust was Western Sussex Hospitals Trust, which paid £2.57 per day per patient.

Wiltshire primary care trust was listed as the top spender, paying £22.31 for each patient.

According to the figures, complied by the NHS Information Centre, West Herts Hospital Trust spent £11.36 per patient compared to neighbouring East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust’s £8.70.

Natalie Forrest, Director of Nursing and Patients’ Champion, said: “The meals we provide for our patients are not only important for their nutritional value, but because it makes such a difference to the quality of the patient experience. “The trust was one of the first to offer patients a new system that allows meals to be cooked individually and served immediately. There are a variety of menus, including classic British, Halal, Afro Caribbean, Kosher, vegan, puree and a children’s choice. A 24-hour-a-day snack box service for patients who have missed a meal, or are eating outside normal eating hours, is also available.”

However nationally, news of the wide disparity between what hospitals spend on patient food sparked concerns that the quality of NHS meals was suffering due to budget pressures to cut costs.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients’ Association, said: “Sadly, catering is not seen as a priority by the NHS, but it’s a false economy. It’s vitally important that people in hospital get a balanced diet otherwise they will only have to stay in hospital longer.

“It’s no surprise that so many people complain about the quality of the food and say they are not able to eat. Patients don’t expect restaurant-quality meals, but they do expect - and deserve - decent and nutritious food.”