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22th September 2007
Nutrition Screening Week: 25-27 September 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)
Over three days, hospitals and care homes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will screen new patients being admitted to hospital and residents entering care homes during the past 6 months for malnutrition or risk of malnutrition using criteria based on the 'Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool' ('MUST').*
For the first time, reliable and comprehensive figures on the percentage of malnourished in the population moving into hospital or care will be generated. Current data are over 10 years old and used inconsistent criteria.
"The data provided by the Nutrition Screening Week (NSW) across the UK will mirror what is happening in the community where most malnutrition is to be found," says Christine Russell, Project Lead for BAPEN. "Through screening on admission, hospitals and care homes can identify malnutrition and address it by implementing appropriate care plans - whether that involves food, adjusted diets, or specialist nutrition support and monitoring.
NSW will provide evidence for hospitals and care homes on the scale of the problem they have to tackle in their own care settings and regions - the numbers of patients and residents for whom a nutritional care plan must be provided - and enable them to consider how best to organise themselves to respond to that need."
Patients with experience of special nutrition support welcome the NSW and the focus on screening.
Says Justine Bayes a member of the PINNT** patient network for adults and children:
"Doctors, nurses and carers must take nutrition seriously at all times but screening helps ensure that care plans are implemented and patients monitored. Screening is a first step to reassuring us as patients or residents, as well as our families and carers, that our nutrition needs are being addressed. We welcome this focus on screening."
BAPEN's NSW has the support of the Department of Health in England, the Welsh Assembly Government, the Scottish Government, the Chief Nursing Officer in Northern Ireland and the National Patient Safety Agency. BAPEN's NSW is being run in collaboration with the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).
Professor Marinos Elia, Chair of BAPEN adds: "BAPEN's Nutrition Screening Week will help establish the extent of the problem in the community and therefore also focus government and healthcare professionals' efforts on addressing this significant public health issue.
BAPEN's Nutrition Screening Week is contributing to the Dignity in Care campaign and the national Nutrition Action Plan spearheaded by the Department of Health and Care Services Minister Ivan Lewis MP.
Malnutrition is preventable and if treated early can improve outcomes for patients and residents. In the long run, treatment saves the NHS and social care system money as the cost of treatment is small compared with the potential benefits to be gained."
It is anticipated that the results of the Nutrition Screening Week will be announced on the first day of the BAPEN Conference - Malnutrition Matters - Tuesday 27th November 2007 in Harrogate. Conference Registration details here
Notes for Editors
*'MUST' Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool was developed and produced by the Malnutrition Advisory Group (MAG) of BAPEN (British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition).
** PINNT Patients on Intravenous nasogastric nutrition therapy www.pinnt.co.uk
BAPEN is undertaking the first national nutrition screening survey in the UK across both hospital and community care settings 25 - 27th September 2007, in collaboration with the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and with the support of the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA). The Department of Health in England, the Chief Nursing Officer in Northern Ireland, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Government have confirmed their support for the initiative.
Why is such a survey needed?
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The prevalence of malnutrition in UK is based on data collected in studies undertaken over 10 years ago involving a limited number of institutions. It may not reflect the magnitude of the problem today.
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Different criteria were used to define malnutrition in these studies.
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The BAPEN Nutrition Screening Week will be the first prospective national survey of the prevalence of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care in the UK.
What is the purpose of the survey?
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It will complement the data collected during the European Nutrition Day audits. The amount of paperwork required for the UK survey is considerably less.
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It will be used to inform the Department of Health and other government departments, other organisations and the media of the current magnitude of the problem of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care homes.
What will be the outcomes of the survey?
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Data from participating centres will be analysed and returned to reporters to enable local data to be compared with national figures.
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The results of the survey will be presented at BAPEN 2007 (Harrogate 27/28 Nov.)
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The results of the survey will also form the basis of launching or promoting other initiatives such as education and training of health professionals, including nurses, who usually undertake nutritional screening.