Adobe Reader is required to view PDF files. Please click on the logo to the left to download this for free.
This press release is also available in PDF format
Issued: 11 October 2009
Nutritional Care and Treatment - A ‘MUST’ not cut says BAPEN
With potential spending cuts in NHS and care services on the cards, BAPEN says that nutritional care and treatment ‘MUST not’ be cut.
Dr Mike Stroud, Chair of BAPEN says today at the BAPEN Conference
(Cardiff 13 October 2009):
“Over the past two years, nutritional care and treatment is finally ‘coming of age’ in policy discussions, in research and wider professional practice. The Government has acknowledged its emergence as an important route to improving care and health outcomes and published the Nutrition Action Plan (NAP) with key stakeholders including BAPEN. However, whilst the Government initiative seems to have faltered, the stakeholders have taken things forward and driven nutritional care and treatment into regulation, standards, education and daily practice – changes that have included the increased use of BAPEN’s nutrition-risk screening tool the ‘MUST’.
Awareness, understanding and professional behaviour is changing and it would be an enormous pity if that momentum stalled. And with estimated additional costs of £13 billion a year related to the problems of malnutrition, we need greater rather than less investment in nutritional care.”
Media enquiries: Rhonda Smith Minerva 07887-714957 info@minervaprc.com
Dr Mike Stroud is available for interview.