MEDIA INFORMATION from
BAPEN the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
Registered Charity No.1023927
Issued Tuesday, 19 November 2003
Major medical conference comes to Telford
Telford, 19 November 2003 - Over 600 leading nutrition experts are gathering in Telford for the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) Annual Meeting on 19 and 20 November. This meeting sees the launch of the new Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), a major step forward in increasing the identification of people at risk of malnutrition in our community.
Dr Alastair Forbes, Chairman of BAPEN states, "According to the latest data up to 2 million people are malnourished in the UK and there is no question that good nutritional care is vital to improving health outcomes. The new screening tool is a real breakthrough, as it provides continuity of care, enabling us to take action for those at risk as early as possible. I am proud of the work that BAPEN is doing in enhancing understanding of nutrition among healthcare professionals, policy makers and the public."
A number of the papers to be presented at the BAPEN conference emphasise the importance of nutritional screening. According to one study all elderly patients should be nutritionally assessed as part of their routine care. Disease related malnutrition can result in increased infection rates and length of hospital stay, delayed wound healing, reduced appetite and increased mortality rates. In the community, patients with cancer, chronic diseases and cardiovascular disease who also have a low BMI have increased requirements for prescription drugs, visits to the general practitioner and hospital admissions. They also have higher mortality rates.
Having a Nutritional Support Team can dramatically improve patient care; two studies to be presented at the conference found that a multi-professional team dramatically reduces the number of patients requiring tube feeding, considerably improving the quality of many patients' lives. However it is estimated that only 4 out of 10 hospitals currently have a dedicated Nutritional Support Team, leaving many patients at risk of inappropriate care. BAPEN is working across all the professions to increase awareness of the importance of nutrition in patient care.
Contact details
For further information please contact:
Jacqui Dyson - 07713 406290 - jdyson@gciuk.com
Ian McDermott - 020 7072 4344 - imcdermott@gciuk.com
Notes to Editors
BAPEN is the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, a charity dedicated to advancing clinical nutrition. The Annual Meeting is held at the Telford International Centre, November 19-20, 2003. BAPEN is a multi-professional association and charity established in 1992. Its membership is drawn from doctors, dietitians, nurses, patients, pharmacists and representatives from the health policy, industry, public health and research sectors. BAPEN is Registered Charity Number 1023927
BAPEN's principal functions are to:
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Enhance understanding and management of malnutrition
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Establish a clinical governance framework to underpin the nutritional management of all patients
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Enhance knowledge and skills in clinical nutrition through education and training
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Communicate the benefits of clinical and cost-effective optimal nutritional care to all healthcare professionals, policy-makers and the public
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Fund a multi-professional research programme
Log onto - www.bapen.org.uk