BAPEN policy and business are directed by its Governing Council. Members of BAPEN Council are all full members of BAPEN and include elected representatives of the Core Groups and Associate Societies of BAPEN, the Chairs of the Standing Committees and the elected members of the Executive Team. Members of Council are usually appointed annually and serve a maximum term of three years.
BAPEN Council meets at least twice a year and has the following responsibilities:
- To approve or reject applications for membership
- To maintain a list of all BAPEN members
- To elect the Executive Officers of BAPEN
- To appoint a BAPEN representative to the European Nutrition Society (ESPEN)
- To appoint Standing Committees and determine their terms of reference, duration and composition
- To select members of BAPEN for special acclaim, including the BAPEN Roll of Honour, Honorary Life Membership and the invitation to become a member of BAPEN Faculty.
BAPEN Council receives regular reports from the Executive Team, the Standing Committees and Associate Societies and helps to support and direct their work. Significant achievements over the last few years have included:
- In 2023, BAPEN launched a new resource developed jointly with PINNT to optimise nutritional care for patients – Quality Standards for Nutritional Support in Adults: Promises made to you
- BAPEN’s inaugural podcast series launched in 2022, bringing to life the British Intestinal Failure Alliance (BIFA) top tips.
- In 2022, BAPEN launched a new five year strategy, based on a comprehensive consultative process and outlining three new strategic priorities; knowledge, reach and sustainability.
- BAPEN’s NG SIG published a Position Paper in 2020: “Time to put patient safety first”, covering the key ways in which nasogastric tube safety has been compromised across Trusts and Health Boards, leading to avoidable Never Events.
- Commencing in 2020, BAPEN was an integral member of the Covid is Airborne Protection Alliance (CAPA), which lobbied the Government and health services for effective personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance for all health and care staff.
- BAPEN joined the Inequalities in Health Alliance in 2020, a coalition collectively campaigning for a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities.
- In 2019, we launched the first national online survey into malnutrition and nutritional care in the UK as part of UK Malnutrition Awareness Week. This survey aimed to take the temperature on the prevalence and state of malnutrition across various health and care settings.
