Committee, Council & SIG Updates
The Nutrition Society
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Updates and Events Calendar
- 5-6 September – Nutrition Futures 2023
- 5-6 December 2023 – Winter Conference
Diet and lifestyle strategies for prevention and management of multimorbidity.
Nutrition Society Academy
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Nasogastric Tube Special Interest Group (NGSIG)
Wendy-Ling Relph, Chair NGSIG
Email: ngsig@bapen.org.uk
Website: www.bapen.org.uk/about-bapen/committees-and-groups/bapen-special-interest-groups/ng-sig
The NGSIG continues to work well together as a multidisciplinary team. One of our key objectives is to support consistent, best practice across the UK for all activities relating to nasogastric (NG) feeding tube therapy. We advocate a holistic approach to care do not just concentrate on NG Never Events.
Some of our key workstreams and achievements:
NG feeding tubes and restrictive practice
We have worked closely with NHS England (NHSE) and paediatric specialists to support the development of national guidelines which have just been launched. This is around safe practice for children and young people requiring NG feeding tubes whilst utilising restraint. Those requiring this are usually patients with eating disorders. We are proud of the outcome and have raised with NHSE that a similar guide for adults would be helpful: https://ngt-restrictive-practice.nhs.uk/.
Community care of patients with NG feeding tubes
We are currently working with community teams around NG position check and care of patients with NG tubes at home, as opposed to hospital. This has become an increasingly hot topic and there is little guidance based around the issues in the home when a gastric aspirate cannot be obtained, or when it is consistently above a pH of 5.5. Watch this space for future updates.
NNNG NG guidance
We have worked closely with NNNG supporting the review and updating of their NG guidance document. This is due to be imminently published.
Competency for NG tube insertion
We are planning on working with NNNG and NHSE regarding potential development of national guidance on education and competency for NG feeding tube insertion.
NIHR proposal
Members of NG SIG and wider BAPEN have been working with University of Lancaster to develop the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) proposal for systematic review of NG tube position and clarification of future research questions. Involvement of members of the NGSIG has helped develop this into a holistic review, as opposed to only Never Events. Watch this space for future updates.
Damien Tolan is Chair of an NHSE backed multidisciplinary group to review the interpretation of NG tube position X-rays, and has written for BAPEN members:
I am delighted to continue to work closely with BAPEN as we work towards a new NHS-wide solution for NG tube X-ray performance and interpretation to prevent adverse outcomes related to NG tube feeding. This centres on a change of practice so that radiographers performing NG tube X-rays will also interpret those examinations and act when misplaced tubes are identified. This is supported by the Royal College of Radiologists, my own Society the British Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology, The Society of Radiographers, BAPEN and the Critical Care Society, and would be a major step forward in transforming services to improve outcomes for patients.
A dedicated multidisciplinary working group is currently producing a training package for radiographers and other healthcare staff in collaboration with Report and Image Quality Control (RAIQC) which we hope to provide all of the resources for professionals to be trained and assessed in interpretation.
This is only phase one however! The next phase will be the roll out and implementing this into routine practice. This is where we need BAPEN members. The NGSIG group will be looking for enthusiasts that can get groups of collaborators in your Trust to make the change. From our experience of actually doing this in Leeds there are so many benefits.
So, watch this space. We will be calling for your help in 2024!!!
Damian Tolan
Consultant Radiologist, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
British Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology – President 2022-24
bsgar.org
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