16 July 2026
Children have been helping to shape a brand-new menu for young patients at New Cross Hospital by taking part in a special food tasting session.
Pupils from Pelsall Village School, who are members of the Little Voices programme, visited The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust to sample and rate a selection of meals and desserts being considered for a new children’s menu.
The Little Voices initiative gives children the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas, helping staff across The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust improve services for young patients.
During the “Rate the Plate” session, the children tasted a range of proposed dishes before rating each one as “Loved it”, “Liked it”, “It was OK” or “Didn’t like it”. They also voted for their favourite main meal and dessert, providing valuable feedback to the Trust’s Catering Teams.
The menu featured a variety of child-friendly favourites, including Frog in the Bog (sausage in a Yorkshire pudding with gravy), fish-finger hot dogs, fruit kebabs, hot waffles with sauce, strawberries, cream, and marshmallows, and jam rice pudding.
The feedback will help shape a proposed new children’s menu for hospitals in Wolverhampton and Walsall, which is expected to be introduced later this year.
Garry Perry, Associate Director of Patient Voice (Experience), said: “It was a fantastic session, and the children’s feedback will play an important role in developing our new children’s menu.
“It is so important that we listen to the views of the children and young people who use our services.
Their ideas help us make improvements that enhance the experience of staying in hospital.”
The visit also celebrated the continued success of the Little Voices programme, which has supported several projects aimed at improving children’s services across both Trusts.
Garry added: “Little Voices is about much more than asking children what they think. It gives them genuine opportunities to influence decisions that affect them, whether that’s helping us design patient information, interviewing senior staff or deciding what should appear on a hospital menu.
“The programme continues to demonstrate the value of involving children and young people in shaping the services they use. Their voices are heard, listened to and acted upon, and they are making a real difference to the care we provide.”