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Pressure mounts on government to provide clear action plan to end malnutrition

Today the Government is holding an emergency summit on nutrition which the charity Age Concern hopes will help end the scandal of patients starving in hospital. Age Concern has welcomed recognition from, Ivan Lewis, MP, Care Services Minister, of the plight of older patients being given inadequate food and help with eating in hospital. Age Concern is calling on all involved in the summit to commit to a clear action plan to end this scandal.

The meeting comes six months after Age Concern launched its ‘Hungry to be Heard’ campaign. The campaign highlights that six out of ten older patients are at risk of being malnourished while in hospital. Despite this prevalence, nine out of ten nurses admitted they did not always have time to help patients with eating(1).

Gordon Lishman, Director General, Age Concern, said: “We welcome the Government’s summit. We want to see clear actions resulting from the meeting which would see all organisations attending backing Age Concern’s seven steps to stamp out malnutrition.

“This scandal cannot continue a day longer. For too long the problem of malnutrition has gone unnoticed, the Government must ensure that actions decided today are effectively monitored and implemented in every ward. This must be a top priority because patients’ health is being put at risk.”

Speaking of the problem earlier in the year Ivan Lewis, Minister for Care Services, said: “Some [patients] have a tray placed on the end of the bed, tantalising with hot food. It may be just an inch out of reach but it might as well be a mile.”

The summit comes as part of the Government’s ‘Dignity in Care’ campaign which includes a focus on nutrition.

Age Concern has warned that unless urgent action is taken, a further 750,000 older patients could be at risk of malnourishment in 2007(2)

Malnourished patients stay in hospital for longer, are three times as likely to develop complications during surgery and are more likely to die. As a result, the toll of malnutrition on health costs in the UK is estimated to exceed £7.3 billion per year(3) – much more than obesity.

Shockingly, seven out of ten nurses would not be confident that a member of their own family would get the help they needed if admitted to the hospital where they work.

Age Concern recommends that each hospital wards adopts seven steps to end malnutrition:
1) Hospital staff must listen to older people, and their relatives and carers
2) All ward staff must become ‘food aware’
3) Hospital staff must follow their own professional codes and guidance from other bodies
4) Older people must be assessed for the signs or danger of malnourishment on admission and at regular intervals during their stay
5) Introduce ‘protected mealtimes’
6) Implement a ‘red tray system’ and ensure that it works in practice
7) Use volunteers where appropriate

www.ageconcern.org.uk 14th March 2007