They will debate the state of hospital food at the British Medical Association's Junior Doctors Conference in London.

Junior Doctors Committee chairman Dr Simon Eccles said poor food was slowing patients' recovery.

What do you think of hospital food? Is it nutritious enough? Do you think it gets an undeserved bad press? Do you work in a hospital kitchen (or have you been a patient recently)? Tell us your experiences, using the form on the right.

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

There must be nutrition experts up and down the country shaking their head in disbelief Andrew Carter, Southampton

Having worked in hospitals for the past 12 years I can say there has been little or no improvement in the quality of food offered. Patients who come to hospital need nutritious food to help their recovery. It is also better for this food to be provided by the hospital in order to minimise any risks of food poisoning to the patients.
Jamie Reeves, Hounslow,UK

It's the cult of celebrity gone mad. Is Jamie Oliver suddenly the only person who knows anything about food? There must be nutrition experts up and down the country shaking their head in disbelief that the NHS has to go to a self-publicising media star in order to find out how to feed its patients!
Andrew Carter, Southampton

My girlfriend went into hospital a couple of years ago, and discovered that they had a system of chosing your meals a week in advance. The patient who had previously been in her bed was diabetic, so she spent a week eating diabetic-friendly but rather horrible food. On the day she was discharged, she got to choose all the meals that the next patient in her bed would eat for the next week.
Adam, London, UK

If you think the situation is bad in the UK, imagine that in some American hospitals there are actually fast food outlets (like McDonalds) which serve as the hospital cafeteria.
James, New York

I'm a pensioner and would have no objection to paying towards my keep in hospital Pam, Leicestershire, UK

I've never understood why we have to pay for prescriptions, yet hospital food is free. I'm a pensioner and would have no objection to paying towards my keep in hospital - I have to buy food at home after all. If everyone contributed even �2 per day it would surely be a big financial help.
Pam, Leicestershire, UK

If it takes a so-called "personality" and "fame" for this Labour Government to listen to commonsense and reason (as told to them by normal people for years), then this country is in even greater trouble than I thought.
Mike, Blackpool, UK

I work in a hospital and when lunch is served. Some days I just want to get off the ward as soon as possible, the smell is awful, no wonder patients with a poor appetite don't want to eat it, I wouldn't!
Ben, Worcester

In November I had a stay in an NHS hospital of eight days. During that time I had some excellent meals, most were very good, and only one was poor (mainly because it was not to my taste). I was also eating more than I had been at home. So not all hospitals can be criticised.
Philip Meers, Birmingham, England

This is nonsensical. Why on earth should hospitals even provide food? If the patient is at home they would have to prepare their own food. Competing food outlets should set up in/near hospitals to provide a variety of healthy food to paying customers.
Alistair T, Durham, UK

My dad recently went into hospital and received really good food, hot tasty and plenty of it. Although some hospitals do have bad food which needs to be addressed, his one was great, keep up the good work!
Jo, Hertfordshire

When my late father was in hospital with throat cancer he was still served with what I can only describe as inedible dried up stodge. When my mother complained she was told: "if he's hungry he'll eat it"
John Clark, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire

To Alastair T, Durham: Hospitals should provide food because we pay our taxes to be looked after while unwell in the hospitals. The last thing an ill patient needs is corporate greed being brought into hospital corridors.
Jamie, Reading, UK

Jamie Oliver is not a panacea. Others have to take responsibility without needing him there to highlight their concerns. Andy Leslie, Berkshire

My parents were both in hospital for extended periods last year. The food was basic, but fine for their needs. Whilst those expecting a five star restaurant will be disappointed, as with school meals it has to be prepared on a budget and expectations have to be realistic. If improvements are indeed needed, someone will have to pay. Jamie Oliver is not a panacea. Others have to take responsibility without needing him there to highlight their concerns.
Andy Leslie, Berkshire

When my father had a stroke last year he wouldn't eat the food in the hospital because it was so awful. He didn't eat anything for almost five days and the doctors were really worried. This was only solved by my mother cooking two tasty and nutritous meals a day for him and bring the food in and feeding him. The food was so good the nursing staff put in their own requests! She had to carry on doing this for almost 10 weeks. I felt really sorry for the patients who didn't get food brought in but who had to eat hospital food to survive. It should not have to be like that.
Matthew Baker, St Albans England

A few years ago when I was living in London, I was sent to hospital for an angiogram, suspected of having coronary heart disease. I arrived on a ward where cardiac patients are held prior to their surgical procedures, just before tea time. Imagine my surprise when I was served Cornish pastie and chips. When I mentioned this to my GP, she said that it was how the hospital reduced the length of their waiting lists!
Liam, Stockton-on-Tees, UK

Stop blaming the "hospital" and start blaming the cooks - after all, it's their fault the food tastes so bad!
Carly Meyers, Iver, United Kingdom

I look forward to the changes that Jamie will make towards NHS food, being a junior doctor, I must agree that the patients' food can be so appalling that I can see why patients have previously self discharged on such grounds!
Vivien Shuen, Poole, Dorset

The hospital food was not actually fit to eat. I was unable to tell what much of it was and some of it I felt was not safe to eat. Joanna Lang, Surrey

I was in hospital for just over a week last year. The food I was served was awful and left me exhausted, in fact I sent my husband out to the supermarket to buy me food. The hospital food was not actually fit to eat. I was unable to tell what much of it was and some of it I felt was not safe to eat. As it was during a hot spell of weather I was given a piece of cheese with a sandwich one evening and it had melted to liquid in its plastic packaging.
Joanna Lang, Surrey

I work for an NHS hospital in East Yorkshire and the quality and range of food certainly has improved in recent years. Amongst other things we now have a fresh sandwich bar available at lunch times where people can choose from a range of different breads, fillings and salads. It's very popular amongst staff and visitors alike.
Philip, United Kingdom

I was in hospital one year ago after giving birth, the food was horrible. The vegetables were over cooked, the sauces were fatty and gloopy, and selections were bizzare - i.e pasta bake with brussel sprouts or corned beef salad with cauliflower cheese. But a lot of money would need to be invested into putting proper kitchens into hospitals, at the moment the kitchens just seem to be places to heat up meals that have been delivered.
Carolyn, Scotland

I believe those who are ill eat with their eyes; if it looks totally great, they will eat it all. Rob Bluck, Birmingham UK

I was in hospital for one week in August 2004. I thought the meals were OK. I did enjoy buying choc-bars from the trolley that came round daily too. Many years ago I worked voluntarily in a large hospitals kitchen. Here I learned that much of the food is returned not eaten. I believe those who are ill eat with their eyes; if it looks totally great, they will eat it all.
Rob Bluck, Birmingham UK

People have known this for years. When my children were born 18 and 20 years ago, visiting time was a parade of new dads with "food parcels" because all of the mums complained about the quality and quantity of food. Only last Autumn Radio 4 broadcast an exceptional programme which used research that demonstrated the dramatic increase in malnourishment in patients from the time the entered hospital till the time they were discharged. But then that programme was "fronted" by Lloyd Grossman...perhaps it didn't get the attention as he does not have the celebrity pull of the pukka sparra!
Maurice Price, Marden, Kent

I'm a heart patient and have been in hospital several times in the last year. The food had plenty of calories but was dull and had lots of salt. As a heart patient I normally have a low salt diet. Low salt is easy and doesn't cost money. Even an airline can manage low salt, a hospital should know better and try harder.
Philip Shaw, St Neots, Cambs, UK

Having spent 10 days in Harrogate District Hospital after the complicated birth of my son last July, I feel that I must point out that not all hospitals serve bad food lacking in nutrition. The food that I was served, whilst not as palatable as home cooking, was as good as you could have expected when mass-produced. There was a sound breakfast of cereal, toast, fruit and yoghurt, and for lunch and dinner there was always a choice of three hot meals served with vegetables or a selection from the sandwich or salad bar. Fruit juice was served with meals, there was always fruit or a "proper" pudding for dessert and I don't recall being served chips once!
Antonia Smith, Harrogate, England