Core Groups Updates
Carolyn Wheatley, PINNT Chair
Email: comms@pinnt.com
Website: www.pinnt.com
Facebook: PINNTcharity
Twitter: @pinntcharity
Address: PO Box 3126, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 2XS
Telephone: 020 3004 6193
We’re recruiting - PINNT’s Virtual Nutrition Team (VNT)
PINNT/Patient Association: support and advocacy for people on home artificial nutrition (HAN). Adults/children/associate members – home parenteral and enteral feeding plus oral nutritional supplements.
PINNT has a wealth of combined experiences from its members, which contributes to the varied support network we offer to help people adapt to, and cope with life on home artificial nutrition.
Medical advice is beyond PINNT’s remit. However, there are some general questions from people on HAN that PINNT can answer. Historically, these questions have been addressed by our virtual nutrition team (VNT). There have been a good range of topics covered. PINNT is reviewing current VNT guidance and looking to respond to new questions. It’s also time to expand our VNT! Our VNT will also be working with the British Intestinal Failure Alliance (BIFA) to develop patient focused resources.
Dr Barry Jones has handed over the mantel of VNT lead to Dr Jeremy Nightingale, and Professor Simon Lal who will co-chair PINNT’s VNT. It will continue to be a multidisciplinary team. We are delighted to retain members of our current committee, but we are also seeking new members!
What’s involved? Much of the work of the VNT is done virtually and via email. VNT members will receive an email from the chairs who will circulate questions and seek input from the team. A response will be drafted and then circulated for final approval by the VNT.
Who should apply? Health professionals who are interested in supporting people on HAN. Our team is multidisciplinary, so if you are a nurse, dietitian, pharmacist, doctor, surgeon, speech and language therapist or psychologist who has the passion and time to support our VNT then we would love to hear from you!
HAN patients who approach PINNT for advice are usually seeking guidance on how to live their best life on HAN and wish to gain credible information to support their decision and better understand aspects of their life on HAN.
How to contact us. If you would like to express an interest in PINNT’s VNT or have further questions before you commit and would like more information, please email us at: VNT@pinnt.com or telephone us on: 07971 571709.
Please respond: Please contact PINNT no later than Friday 14th May 2021.
Home Artificial Nutrition (HAN) Week 2021: 2 – 8 August 2021.
Do you have an idea, resource, topic or awareness activity that you feel would fit nicely into HAN Week 2021? If so, please contact PINNT, collaborations and partnerships are key to a united message about HAN.
Kate Hall, PENG Chair
Email: communications.peng@bda.uk.com
Website: www.peng.org.uk
Twitter: @BDA_PENG
The PENG webinar series goes from strength to strength, the February webinar is live on the PENG website to catch up on and the April 20th webinar will soon be available to watch. The April webinar gave people the opportunity to hear from the PENG Award winners and put questions to the panel afterwards. In June, the webinar will be focused on nutritional requirements, but more information will follow in subsequent updates from PENG.
The PENG virtual Clinical Update Course and the Clinical Update Course tutors have been working tirelessly to be able to make the virtual course possible to do back in April (2021), so we look forward to hearing from the team and delegates soon.
You may have seen the new PENG column in the March edition of Complete Nutrition where we get to share a quarterly round up from PENG. As updated in the last edition of In Touch, the Virtual Home Enteral feeding Group is on Basecamp, so if you are involved in home enteral feeding please do join this virtual community, and let others know because this is a great place to share best practice and ask questions of peers.
The PENG Dietetic Outcomes Toolkit, ‘DOT’, has undergone a review and update which has now been relaunched and available to use – all we ask is that dietitians share their experiences of using and provide us with feedback. We look forward to being able to provide some additional case studies later in the year.
Things coming up over the next month or so include sharing news about a new PN survey, but right now we are pleased to launch the PENG Award 2021 – deadline is 25th June 2021 – so we hope to hear from some of you through this channel.
P.S. If you support patients who are home enterally fed and what to understand more about ‘EPS’ click here.
Georgie Adams, NNNG Communications Officer
Email: nationalnursesnutritiongroup@gmail.com
Website: www.nnng.org.uk
Twitter: @NNNGUK
The first quarter and lockdown 3 complete. Spring arrives and with it a big sigh of relief!
We remembered the start of COVID-19 on March 23rd, 2021, with a day of reflection and memories for those we loved and lost. Cities and candles were lit – the many shadows created, demonstrating lessons learnt and experiences made. The NNNG would like to thank all our members and Core Groups for the hard work and efforts made in 2020, with continued partnership and strength in 2021.
The NNNG remain focused as ever in its efforts to maintain an active voice. The nutrition landscape continues to evolve and with it the NNNG reflects and shapes a strong vision for a successful future. We are delighted to introduce two new committee members:
- Angela Cole, Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist for Children with Intestinal Failure at The Royal London Hospital. Angela established a National Paediatric Parenteral Nutrition Nurses Group and represents paediatric intestinal failure nursing on the NHS England Stakeholders Group and the National Intestinal Failure Working Group – BSPGHAN. With so many centres working within dual services and roles, we are keen to build on our partnership and take forward the many transferable skills and knowledge incorporating a holistic approach to nutrition nursing.
- Chanice Bloomfield, a Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner at Southampton General Hospital in Gastroenterology. The development of CNS roles and introduction of advanced practice has never been more apparent than in role development and service change observed over the last twelve months. The NNNG recognises now more than ever, the time is right to explore and guide nutrition nurse roles within the realms of nursing and medical practice.
With the launch of new work streams and whole system working, the NNNG will be advertising new committee roles over the next three-six months. We are keen to encourage newly appointed nutrition nurses, student nurses and Band 4 nursing associate roles to the Committee. If we are to evolve and represent the Nutrition voice, committee endeavours to deliver equality, diversity, values, and beliefs within the Nutrition Nursing community.
The NNNG continue to tighten its reins, with a robust banking system, creation of a PO Box and finalising the launch of our fresh and newly updated website. We are also in the final stages of negotiating an exciting member benefit, which we plan to launch within the next two months. It seeks to open the platform for professional writing and research activities for our members. The NNNG are actively encouraging members to take forward the guidance found in the HSBI report, Dec 2020, and BAPEN’s NGSIG position statement ‘Time to put patients first’. Nutrition Nurses do not sit on the side-lines of patient safety. Our vision and voice to take forward best practice recommendations.
The NNNG plan to work closely with BAPEN during the evaluation and test of new devices and tools designed for patient safety. We intend to provide a fresh new platform of evidence – credible and integral to our professional roles and with it a sound and robust evaluation framework.
It is that time of year again when conference planning begins in earnest. We recognise the many limitations placed on acute and community trusts, industry, and private healthcare. The NNNG will need to throw it's net much wider this year and align our plans with that of the digital age. Nurses will want to make the most of their newfound time off and catch ups with friends and family. We are, therefore, reviewing contemporary and modern ways to communicate innovation, development and old problems for new. Exciting conversations continue with our conference company. We plan to launch our new look conference at the end of September for one week each evening. If you would like to participate, contribute, or come forward with suggestions and recommendations. Let us know by contacting the NNNG.