Waffles for all patients, serving alcohol in hospitals and handing out free cinema tickets were among suggestions submitted to the Government’s consultation on health service reform.
The Prime Minister launched the public consultation on Monday (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer’s call for members of the public to help shape NHS reforms has been undermined by a flurry of ridiculous suggestions displayed on a public consulation website within hours.
The Prime Minister called on patients, clinicians and experts to submit ideas through a new online platform, Change.NHS.uk ahead of the launch of a 10-year plan to improve the health service, due early next year. But some seized the opportunity to submit mocking demands.
Changes to food and drink arrangements in hospitals were a common theme, with one submission demanding “waffles for every meal” which should be provided “free of charge to all patients…as they have multiple health benefits”.
The sweet-toothed writer added: “Ideally they would also be provided to the entire country although this would likely take longer to implement.”
Some submissions focused on the food and drink served in hospitals (Image: change.nhs.uk)
Another submission floated the idea of “opening a pub in a hospital” and urged health chiefs to “allow patients to have wine, beers, spirits etc with their meals to raise morale”.
And free energy drinks to be handed out in secondary schools were proposed by another member of the public, who said: “Back in my day milk was given to kids to help improve their bone structure and teeth.
“But these days with the stress of homework and the poor sleep schedules of these kids it would be give to pop them a little pick me up for their GCSE’s. Limit it to sugar-free flavours obviously, don’t wanna rot their teeth.”
A particularly nasty submission called for “Tory scum” to lose access to NHS healthcare. Claiming their husband was a nurse, the writer added: “He always ignores old white Tories on the ward, it should be mandatory in every hospital.”
The NHS consultation received some nasty responses (Image: change.nhs.uk)
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Other silly suggestions included that the NHS should pay for cinema screenings “so people can watch a film whilst they’re waiting to be seen or under observations”.
The idea of extending the health service to also cover four-legged patients was put forward by another poster who cited research suggesting that “animals have just as many feeling as humans do”.
The consultation was intended to inspire “the biggest ever conversation about the future of the NHS”, according to the website.
Responses to some sections were confidential and anonymised but those submitted under “Your ideas for change” could be viewed and liked by members of the public.
