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Paul Burstow, Minister of State for Care Services statement

Paul Burstow, Minister of State for Care Services and Lead for Older People
and Care Services

"Good nutrition and hydration are vital to help people maintain good health, recover from illness and get back on their feet. Yet too often, poor practice and lack of attention to the basics, like assistance with eating, means older people in our care homes and hospitals are not getting the food and drink they need. I welcome the leadership shown by BAPEN and the many other respected organisations that collaborated in developing this resource and I hope that care providers and commissioners will use it locally to make sure older people receive the nutritional care they are entitled to."

Paul Burstow's office has confirmed that the DH Social Care Policy Team will promote the Toolkit via the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), e-bulletins to members of the DH Care Networks, explore putting reference to this in communications with the NHS an social care including the Chief Nursing Officer and Social Care bulletins, and share this resource with organisations that represent care providers, patients, service users and carers.

Press release

Win a place at BAPEN Conference 2010 – ‘Malnutrition Matters’

We are conducting a short survey to find out your opinions on membership of BAPEN. By taking part in this survey you will be entered into a prize draw* to WIN a place at this year’s BAPEN Annual Conference ‘Malnutrition Matters’ on 2nd-3rd November at the International Conference Centre, Harrogate – definitely the Conference of the year for all involved with and interested in nutritional care. Simply visit: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LGNP3PF and take part - closing date 31st July.

*No purchase necessary. Competition is free to enter. Competition closing date 31st July 2010, 9am GMT (UK). The winner will be informed by email and announcement will be made in the August 2010 issue of Complete Nutrition Magazine.

The Health Select Committee has now published its report on commissioning

The chapter on specialised commissioning draws extensively on the evidence, both written and oral submitted by the Specialised Healthcare Alliance (SHCA) of which BAPEN is a member. Key points include:

Acknowledgement of the significant improvements brought about by Carter;
Highlights the threat posed by the regulatory limbo occupied by SCGs and the threat posed to funding for specialised services as we enter the downturn
Recommends that the DH undertake a review of the problems, taking into account the SHCA’s proposal that SCGs should be re-located within SHAs and funded directly.

The Committee’s conclusions and recommendation are reproduced below and a copy of the full report can be found at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhealth.htm.

Conclusions

54. The implementation of the Carter Review has made significant improvements to the commissioning of specialised services over the past four years. However, we are concerned that insufficient progress has been made, with significant local variations; and that some important issues remain outstanding.

55. Carter recommended the revision of the National Definitions Set; this does not appear to have gone far enough. The DH must indicate what it will do to ensure that the fourth edition commands wider confidence and support among commissioners.

56. Worryingly, the evidence which we received indicates that many PCTs are still disengaged from specialised commissioning. Furthermore, there is a danger that the low priority many PCTs give to it will mean that funding for specialised commissioning will be disproportionately cut in the coming period of financial restraint. In addition, specialised commissioning is weakened by the fact that, as a pooled responsibility between PCTs, it sits in a “limbo”, where it is not properly regulated, performance managed, scrutinised or held to account. There is much to commend the Specialised Healthcare Alliance’s proposal to bypass the PCTs altogether, making the National Commissioning Group and the Specialised Commissioning Groups into commissioners in their own right, although there is some risk that this could lead to a lack of co-ordination of, and disruption to, services. We recommend that the DH undertake a review of the problems we have highlighted, taking into account the Specialised Healthcare Alliance’s proposal.

Improving Nutritional Care – Monday 24 May 2010 – Central London

BAPEN has teamed up with Capita to deliver a comprehensive and practical day
dedicated to improving nutritional care. The NNNG, RCN, NPSA, PINNT, CQC, SHAs and frontline NHS, local authority and care staff are all represented in the speaker line-up. A panel discussion focuses on outcome measures and benchmarking performance.

Click here for full programme and registration details

BAPEN’s Nutrition Screening Week 2010 underway!

Hundreds of hospitals, care homes and mental health units across the UK and Republic of Ireland are now taking part in BAPEN’s NSW10 and measuring the prevalence of malnutrition among admissions to these care settings. The purpose? To create a robust data set on risk of malnutrition in winter to add to the data already collected for summer and autumn. Results of NSW10 will be made available later in 2010. Save the dates for BAPEN’s NSW11 - 6-8 April 2011.

Oral feeding difficulties and dilemmas:
A guide to practical care, particularly towards the end of life

A new publication from the Royal College of Physicians produced in conjunction with the British Society of Gastroenterology and in response to continuing unease about the lack of consensus, including among doctors, about when artificial nutrition and hydration is appropriate.