TALES of horrible hospital food may soon be a thing of the past -- when a new national NHS menu is introduced.

Still in the design stages, the menu aims to cut the £45 million wasted every year on uneaten hospital food.

And Chorley patients may be among the first to taste the new meals when trials of the menu will take place later this year.

If Chorley and District Hospital is not selected, local patients will have to wait until April 2001 to sample the new menu.

Nearly £40 million will be dished out over the next four years to improve the quality of hospital food.

By 2001 patients in all NHS hospitals will even be able to have a meal at any time, thanks to a 24-hour ward call service.

TV personality Lloyd Grossman is heading a panel of leading chefs, including head chef at the London Savoy Hotel, Anton Edelmann.

The panel have visited 18 NHS Trusts around the country and with the help of nurses, dieticians, catering professionals and patients' representatives, the panel will now design the national NHS menu. And the tasty new initiative could help reduce the amount of food wasted by patients who think that it is horrible.

According to the second national survey of NHS patients in England, in the worst performing hospitals one third of patients thought their food was poor.

Gisela Stuart, Health Minister, said: "It is a fundamental right of patients in our hospitals that the food provided to them is of the highest standards.

"Not only is it essential to the recovery of the patient, it plays a key part in every patient's day.

"It should be of good quality, nutritious, well presented and served at a time that is convenient to the patient."

Lloyd Grossman said: "I am delighted that the Department of Health is determined to improve the standard of hospital catering.

"My team of chefs and I intend to make practical and robust suggestions which we hope will benefit many thousands of patients." EAT up: cook John Brandford with patient Jack Beresford from Brinscall