President's Message
Dr Trevor Smith, BAPEN President
Although this year is now flying by, I do hope everyone is managing to have some kind of summer after the more difficult times earlier in the year. We have continued to be very busy at BAPEN over the past few months, and I am pleased to share a round-up of our activity.
President Elect position
As many of you will have seen through our website, and on social media, BAPEN is seeking candidates for the post of President Elect. This involves a tenure of one year working alongside me, leading on to a three-year term as the BAPEN President. I have been President during a tumultuous period, but I have nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed my time leading this organisation. I have been particularly impressed by the way that everyone within the BAPEN team has come together in their response to the pandemic, and I am proud to have been a part of that. As President, I have had the opportunity to work with fantastic people, and to say it has been rewarding is an understatement. I would like to encourage anyone who is interested in the position to apply. If you would like to find out a bit more about my time as BAPEN President, please read an interview I gave recently which will give you more of a flavour. The deadline for applying for the President Elect position is 3 September, 2021 and you can find out more here.
On the topic of getting to know our BAPEN team better, I caught up with our three new Trustees recently to find out about their previous experiences and what they are particularly excited for in their new roles on our board. Do have a read of these interviews with Dianne, Roger and Phil here.
Watch out for HAN Week in August!
We are fast approaching HAN Week, (2-8 August 2021), PINNT’s annual campaign to raise awareness of the needs of everybody who relies upon home artificial nutrition. HAN Week is always completely inspiring and it is marvellous to have a specific week in the nutrition calendar when everybody can focus on listening to the experiences of patients, and truly what are people’s needs. Of course, in an ideal world, we should try to be doing this all year round. But HAN Week will mean that many more people will discover the great work that PINNT does, and be moved to follow their activities, and show their support, throughout the year. Many of us may take awareness and knowledge of home artificial nutrition for granted, but I do find that in the ‘wider world’ there is frighteningly little understanding out there. But when people read stories from the frontline, the penny drops and they realise the importance of good quality care. I would urge everybody not just to look in on HAN Week this year, but to actively spread the word, as we will do our best to do so from BAPEN. I am pleased to be joining Carolyn Wheatley, Chair of PINNT, on a podcast during the week to show my support. For more information please visit: PINNT’s website, Twitter feed (@PINNTCharity) and Facebook page (@PINNTcharity).
An update on the work of the AGP Alliance
The Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGP) Alliance has continued to campaign for a review of PPE guidance, and specifically for all healthcare professionals to have access to enhanced FFP3 masks. The AGP Alliance is directly calling on the governments and health services in all four nations of the UK to take urgent action.
In June, the BBC published an article which reported upon a meeting which took place between various representatives of the AGP Alliance with senior officials to discuss PPE. The article names BAPEN as one of the leading organisations in this campaign, and I sincerely hope it helps to raise awareness of this very important issue which is yet to be resolved. Do have a read of the news article here.
If you are interested in reading more, I would like to point you in the direction of the joint submission by various AGP Alliance members, including BAPEN, to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. This was in response to a call for evidence on initial lessons from the governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic and details the shortfalls of the current Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidance for COVID-19. This is available to read here.
Other News
I would also like to draw your attention to new guidelines BIFA published recently on the Management of Central Vein Thrombosis in patients receiving Home Parenteral Support. Have a read here.
The Malnutrition Action Group (MAG) will soon be publishing its report from last year’s Screening Week, held during UK Malnutrition Awareness Week (UKMAW). Last year marked the second year that we have ‘taken the temperature’ in this way during October, and I am pleased to say that BAPEN will be repeating the exercise this year. The importance of screening cannot be overstated, and it is an incredibly productive exercise to assess the extent of malnutrition in all settings. I am keen to take the learnings from our screening surveys conducted in previous years and see how matters may have changed. Screening all year round is crucial, but it is also hugely important to have these concerted efforts to all screen together. We really need the whole nutrition community (and beyond) to support us in gathering data, please consider getting involved.
Please help us collect valuable data by contributing during the week – this is one of the most important ways you can get involved in UKMAW, so please mark 11-17 October, 2021 in your diaries now. I am very much looking forward to this campaign and hope you will join me in getting involved as much as possible.
A note for your diaries – BAPEN Annual Conference 2021
Don’t forget to get ready for our annual conference too – and it’s a rather special one this year as we get the chance to celebrate 25 years since the formation of the British Artificial Nutrition Survey!
Last year’s conference was moved to a virtual format, given the COVID-19 pressures and restrictions, but uptake was fantastic, nevertheless. It was amazing to see so many more people engaged in our webinar series, and we hope they will join us again this year. If you have never been to one of our conferences, this could be the year for you to engage. With more need than ever to focus on nutrition, I hope you will join us to move forwards post-pandemic.
So, please do mark 30 November-1 December, 2021 in your diaries! I look forward to seeing you there.
Lastly, I was particularly saddened to learn that a key member of the BAPEN family, dietitian Vera Todorovic, has recently died. Vera made a phenomenal contribution to BAPEN, and a number of our core groups and committees, including PENG and BANS over the years. She was a key part of the team that developed 'MUST' and played a huge role in developing other significant innovations that have broadened our knowledge and competencies. I would like to extend my sincere condolences to her family and loved ones, and assurance that she will be greatly missed, and very well remembered, by all the BAPEN community.
As ever, I am grateful and proud of all your hard work and wish you all a good summer. Do keep well.
Trevor
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