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A vegan patient has declared she was left with no food but ginger nut biscuits following a hospital visit.
Jenny Skelton told journalists she was left feeling “cross and sad,” and a “second class citizen” after being admitted to Royal Sussex County Hospital.
Skelton, who is from Brighton, UK, was left hungry upon receiving care for COVID-19 symptoms.
And, it comes despite the hospital claiming it had a complete vegan menu that is available for 24 hours a day.
Vegan left to eat nothing but ginger biscuits
“The ambulance staff who brought me here were lovely and the hospital staff are very pleasant. But a nurse came round to ask for everyone’s food order and there is nothing for vegans,” Skelton told The Mirror.
She added: “All the other people on the ward are now eating their dinner while I am lying here with nothing.
“I do have tea but only because I brought my own flask of tea from home with soya milk.
“In this day and age, particularly in Brighton where there are so many vegans, it is unacceptable. Why can’t they stock a few frozen vegan meals just in case?
“I am not supposed to leave until I have been given fluids intravenously and eaten some food but how am I supposed to eat when there is nothing?”
She branded the experience “discriminatory,” and urged more should be done to ensure vegan food options are widely available in hospital as a point of policy.
‘Disheartening’
In a statement, The Vegan Society responded.
According to The Mirror, a spokesperson revealed it was both “disheartening” and disappointing to hear Skelton’s story.
“If there isn’t a separate vegan menu at the hospital, a very easy and simple fix would be to veganize items from the non-vegan menu, such as jacket potato with beans, salad or a sandwich with cucumber, tomatoes, or avocado,” they said.
However, they maintain that it “doesn’t seem to be” common in the NHS as veganism continues to grow.
