Providers of food for hospitals should consider how adequate their portion sizes are, according to one expert.

Louise Skelly, a spokesperson for the Patient and Client Council, told BBC News that the claims were made after ongoing patient feedback.

It is thought that patients were mostly happy with the quality of food provided, but that more investment should be made into meal times - particularly in terms of dealing with special dietary requirements, and portion sizes.

Furthermore, the Patient and Client Council believed that hospitals could consider using trained volunteers in order to make these changes.

The news may interest those in dietitian jobs, whose main specialism is helping people to lead as nutritionally-balanced lives as possible. This is true for both healthy people and those recuperating in hospital - a point Skelly was keen to point out, claiming there was "no doubt" nutrition was an important factor in recovery.

She went on to argue: "There should be adequate staffing at meal times, to ensure patients are given any assistance they need. Where appropriate, family members and carers are encouraged to come in and help them at mealtimes."

Skelly's comments came shortly after famed chef, Heston Blumenthal, went on a mission to transform the quality of hospital food currently on offer.

Cited in The Telegraph, the Michelin-starred celebrity spoke out about his mission, commenting: "Mealtimes should be something to be celebrated in hospital. They should be something to look forward to."