BAPEN | Resources | BAPEN press releases

Malnutrition must be addressed in the community as well as in hospital and care

BAPEN Report confirms up to 1 in 3 of all adults of all ages at risk of malnutrition on admission to hospital, care homes & mental health units

28% overall at risk of malnutrition (22% overall at high risk; 6% medium risk)
Increased risk on transfer between care settings with 43% at risk on transfer from care home to hospital and 35% at risk on transfer from hospital to care home
Data fed back to local reporting centres for benchmarking against national results to improve policy and practice

Issued 7th April 2008

2007 Conference press releases

BAPEN REVEALS THAT 1 in 4 OF ALL ADULTS ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL AND CARE HOMES IN THE UK AT RISK OF MALNUTRITION

These are the first results released from BAPEN's UK-wide survey on malnutrition on admission to care services (BAPEN NSW 2007)
Data was collected over three days during BAPEN NSW 2007 on more than 11,600 patients and residents admitted to 372 hospitals, mental health units and care homes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

22 November 2007

New UK wide-data on the prevalence of Malnutrition to be revealed at BAPEN's 2007 'Malnutrition Matters' Conference

The data currently available on the prevalence of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care homes in the UK is over 10 years old, limited and inconsistent.

BAPEN will reveal on Tuesday 27th November, the first day of the 'Malnutrition Matters' Conference, the top line data from its first Nutrition Screening Week (NSW). For the first time, reliable and comprehensive figures will be available on the percentage of the population moving from various settings into hospital or care that are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.

BAPEN launches new Information Resource to support Hospital Trusts as they respond to the Improving Nutritional Care Action Plan launched yesterday

BAPEN's new web-based information resource Organisation of Food and Nutrition Support in Hospitals (OFNoSH) is freely available to download here. The resource will help Hospital Boards and senior staff tasked with overseeing nutritional care to ensure that the appropriate infrastructure, processes and resources are in place.

30th October 2007

BAPEN's response to Improving Nutritional Care: A joint Action Plan from the Department of Health and Nutrition Summit stakeholders

Action plan places nutritional care at centre of policy and practice to improve patient & resident experience and individual outcomes - vital for all age groups says BAPEN.

29th October 2007

BAPEN welcomes launch of 10 point 'Mission Statement' for hospitals to improve nutritional care

Council of Europe UK Alliance '10 Key Characteristics of Good Nutritional Care in Hospitals' provides a checklist for hospitals & hospital staff to implement effectively nutrition care & treatment.

4th October 2007

500+ hospitals and care homes across the UK to take part in BAPEN's first Nutrition Screening Week on malnutrition

75% of participating hospitals and care homes are in England, 12% in Scotland, 7% in Wales and 6% in Northern Ireland (approx %s).

22nd September

Four Nation support for BAPEN's UK-wide Nutrition Screening Week on malnutrition

UK release

BAPEN is delighted to announce the support of the Welsh Assembly Government, the Scottish Government, the Chief Nursing Officer in Northern Ireland and the Department of Health in England for the UK’s first Nutrition Screening Week (NSW) to establish the extent of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care homes across all four nations.

Scotland release

Scottish Government gives support for BAPEN’s Nutrition Screening Week to establish extent of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care homes in Scotland.

Wales release

Welsh Assembly Government to support BAPEN’s Nutrition Screening Week to establish extent of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care homes in Wales.

Nothern Ireland release

Chief Nursing Officer in Northern Ireland to support BAPEN's Nutrition Screening Week.

12th September 2007

Nutrition Screening Week: 25-27 September 2007

Department of Health backs BAPEN’s Nutrition Screening Week to establish extent of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care homes

“The findings will enhance our evidence base and generate important information for hospital, clinical and support staff as well as for public health in general,” says Ivan Lewis MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Care Services, as he endorses the BAPEN initiative.

15th August 2007

Nutrition Screening Week (25/27 Sept 07) – First announcement
You can help find out the actual number of malnourished people being admitted to hospital and care in the UK today

BAPEN is undertaking the first prospective national nutrition screening survey across both hospital and community care settings 25 – 27th September 2007 in order to find out the prevalence of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care today. This survey is being organised in collaboration with the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and is also supported by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA).

14th June 2007

2006 Conference press releases

'Please sir, can I have some more?' More education for both patients & professionals required for best nutrition care and treatment

Evidence to be presented at the BAPEN Conference (Brighton 1/2 November 2006) clearly shows that education for healthcare professionals and patients must be improved if nutrition care and treatment is to be optimal.

30th October 2006

Malnutrition - A Public Health Issue
Doctors and nurses in hospital cannot tackle malnutrition on their own. It must be tackled where it starts - in the Community - where 1 in 8 older people are affected

"Malnutrition (under-nutrition) is under-recognised and often goes un-treated especially in the Community," says Christine Russell, Chair of the Malnutrition in the Community symposium at the BAPEN Conference today (Thursday 2nd November) and Honorary Treasurer of the Charity.

30th October 2006

Malnutrition & Mortality: The Great Divide
The latest health inequality unveiled between North and South and
Rich and Poor

"You are at greatest risk of malnutrition and its consequences if you live in the North and are poor," says Dr Rebecca Stratton in The Pennington Lecture to be delivered today (Wednesday 1st November 2006) at the BAPEN Conference (Brighton, 1 / 2 November 2006).

27th October 2006

Left-Handedness Linked to Low Birth Weight

Left-handedness is established or 'programmed' during early development in the womb by the same factors that also determine birth-weight, according to new research conducted by the University of Southampton to be presented at the BAPEN Conference (1st November 2006).

26th October 2006

Hospitals Missing Target on Required Nutrition Support Teams - BAPEN Issues Challenge

"Patients are being denied access to the best possible co-ordinated nutrition care - from food to specialist treatment - because their hospitals do not have Nutrition Support Teams (NSTs) or Nutrition Steering Committees (NSCs)," claims Professor Marinos Elia, Chair of BAPEN.

26th October 2006

Malnutrition costs the UK more than £7.3 billion of actual expenditure each year - double the projected £3.5 billion cost of obesity

"Malnutrition in the UK costs in excess of £7.3 billion each year, more than double the projected £3.5 billion cost of obesity," states Professor Marinos Elia, Chairman of BAPEN, in the charity's new health economic report on malnutrition, "yet it receives no government policy focus and no allocation of resources in secondary or primary health care."

14th December 2005

Artificial feeding at home - Increased demand requires extra resources and consistant delivery across the nation

The health service is facing a substantial increase in the number of adults and children requiring artificial feeding at home, reveals a Report published by BAPEN.

24th February 2004

Major medical conference comes to Telford

19th November 2003

Nutrition Support Teams dramatically improve patient care (first release)

New study presented at the BAPEN symposium demonstrates up to eight out of ten artificial feeding referrals may be inappropriate.

19th November 2003

Nutrition Support Teams dramatically improve patient care (second release)

New study presented at the BAPEN symposium demonstrates up to eight out of ten artificial feeding referrals may be inappropriate.

21st November 2003

Dietitians and pharmacists talents under-utilised

New study reveals consultants need not take the lead on delivering TPN

21st November 2003