But it's important that images such as this are publicly circulated to give people who might not ever require the services of our hospital an understanding of some of the challenges it is facing.

Bathurst mother Emily Roberts was appalled that her 15-month-old daughter was served an evening meal of beef stroganoff and vegetables that she said was "inedible".

"I mentioned it to the nursing staff and kitchen staff and the response was that there was not another hot meal available but they could offer her a sandwich," Ms Roberts said.

Most would agree that the meal was not satisfactory, but the real concern is that it points to wider issues at the Bathurst hospital.

In recent months an action group has been gathering momentum and building its voice as it lobbies for a better deal for our hospital - and that means both the patients treated there and the staff who work there.

Because as often as people identify issues with the hospital, almost universally they say the staff are doing their best under difficult circumstances. As a community, we need to keep giving them our support.

The quality of food is a good example.

We now know that food is no longer prepared in the kitchens at Bathurst hospital; rather it is brought in either frozen or vacuum-sealed from a number of outside suppliers.

Kitchen staff at the hospital do little more than heat the food and plate it, so it's unfair to blame them when the meals don't come up to standard.

So who should take responsibility?

As usual, it comes down to funding. And, as with most of the other complaints with Bathurst hospital, it comes down to our city not getting its share of the state's health funding pie.

Do we really believe hospital staff and management could look at that plate of food served to a toddler and be satisfied that it was exactly as they'd like it to be?

Of course not, but neither staff nor management can do much to improve the food until the budget provided to them by the government allows for it.

And they cannot hope for bigger budgets unless we, as a community, stand together and demand it.