So, I was honoured to be one of the six Parkside patients invited to the very first patient feedback forum today at the Dark Side. Seemed like everyone had either a lot of experience here or had had a problem at one time or other at Parkside, so could have had quite a lot to say.
Highly amusingly, the entire focus was rather unexpectedly on the new patient menu. Ten minutes in, the doors opened and the head chef and team appeared with tray after tray of freshly cooked single dishes, starters, mains, desserts, sides….. even a few breakfast things with coconut and yoghurt.
And as it was a 2-4pm session, with no inkling that there would be anything beyond a cup of tea, I’d only just had a couple of bits of toast and tuna for lunch – but unsurprisingly found room to taste them all.
Shepherds pie top of the pile, hake and chorizo good, veg curry korma also very good, some impressive nutty salads, a great creme brûlée and lemon tart, though three dishes with beetroot was one too many… it was a scoffing marathon.
My first ‘consumer group’ in many a year, suspect the next one will be just a cuppa and a biscuit, they set the initial bar too high!
Now sitting in x ray downstairs, waiting for a back MRI scan. Might just be dozing off as I digest….zzzzzz
x