Committee, Council & SIG Updates
British Intestinal Failure Alliance (BIFA)
Kirstine Farrer, Deputy Chair & Jeremy Nightingale, Chair
w: www.bapen.org.uk/groups/bapen-special-interest-groups/british-intestinal-failure-alliance-bifa/
e: intestinalfailure@nca.nhs.uk & jeremy.nightingale@nhs.net
2025 is proving to be a productive year, Jeremy and Kirstine presented at the National IF Reference Centre meeting in Salford on the history of BIFA and the publications the team have produced over the years. We have had a few changes to our committee in 2025 with new representatives from PENG, NNNG and BPNG: Nicky Wyer has replaced Alison Culkin; Uchu Meade and Graeme Doherty have replaced Ruth Newton; Breege Kirkham has joined as an additional NNNG rep. Kirstine Farrer has become deputy chair of BIFA and Nick Thompson has also joined the group.
New publications:
- A Top Tips article on Acid-base Problems in Patients with Intestinal Failure is on the website and was published in February 2025.
- The Guideline for Transitioning Adolescent and Young Persons with Intestinal Failure into Adult Services was published in April 2025.
- Top Tips on Oral Rehydration Solutions for Patients with Jejunostomy is completed and should be on the website soon.
Work in progress
- Colette Kirk, Carolyn Wheatley and Simon Lal are leading on a new Top Tips document for Supporting Quality of Life in Adults on Home Parenteral Support (HPS).
- Mia Small, Alison Young and Breege Kirkham are working on the script for short films on the setup, take down and dressing change based upon BIFA catheter care guidelines.
- Kirstine Farrer and Uchu Meade both presented at the BAPEN Clinical Nutrition Team course held on 19 May 2025. Nick Thompson chaired this 3-day course, which was well evaluated.
- Uchu Meade chaired an excellent meeting in London at the Royal Society of Medicine, ‘Optimising PN Therapy Across Care Settings’, Kirstine Farrer presented at this study day which was sponsored by Baxter.
- A few of the BIFA Committee headed North to Stirling in June to present at the Calea Study Day, ‘Right Bag Scotland’. Kirstine Farrer and Phil Steven co-chaired the day and Uchu Meade and Graeme Doherty also presented at this meeting.
- Our group are meeting next week so we look forward to reporting back on more work in the next publication!
Nasogastric Tube Special Interest Group (NG SIG)
Linda Broomfield & Suzy Cole Co-Chairs
w: www.bapen.org.uk/groups/bapen-special-interest-groups/ng-sig
e: ngsig@bapen.org.uk
We are excited to announce that NG SIG are launching a new nasogastric (NG) feeding tube audit tool. This resource tool is designed to support the implementation of previous Patient Safety Alerts (first alert in 2005 and subsequent alerts in 2011, 2016) and our compliance towards them. NG tube misplacement continues to be a patient safety issue causing risk of death and/or severe harm through failure to implement and follow guidance and practice safely.
The audit tool can be used to benchmark current care and safety and to help establish gaps in compliance towards the safety alerts. It is hoped that it will help those individuals who are responsible for implementing patient safety in this clinical area to challenge their organisations to improve compliance. The audit tool can be used in its entirety as it spans the pathway from NG decision making to discharge into community with a NG feeding tube or alternatively it can also be used in smaller parts dependant on the area of clinical practice being audited. The main parts of the tool include whether it’s the right decision for the patient, the right time for tube placement, sufficient knowledge and skills, X-ray documentation, competency and transfer of care to community settings.
The original audit tool has been piloted and adapted by members of the NG SIG and used at Hywel Dda University Health Board, Epsom and St Helier and the Humber Health Partnership, with the results due to be shared on a national level.
In additional news, we had the privilege to present at this year’s NNNG Conference in Birmingham. The chairs of NG SIG (Linda and Suzy) updated the audience on the projection of the NG SIG group for 2025. This included progress on the audit tool, plans for some podcasts and updating the NG SIG position paper from 2020.
The Nutrition Society
Dr Caroline Childs, BAPEN Council Member – Associate Professor, University of Southampton & The Nutrition Society Clinical/Medical Advisory Council Member
e: office@nutritionsociety.org
w: www.nutritionsociety.org
X: @Nutritionsoc
Instagram: the_nutrition_society
LinkedIn: /nutrition-society
The first half of 2025 has been busy as always at the Society. In June, we held our annual Irish Section Conference in Dublin on the very relevant topic of Promoting optimal nutrition for people and the planet. Last week we had our annual Summer Conference considering the gap between health span and lifespan, the challenges of an ageing population and the pressing need for a sustainable future. It was an excellent meeting, hosted by Loughborough University. All presented abstracts and speaker review papers from our conferences are published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, so watch that space for the research emerging from our Conferences if you were not able to attend.
We are currently preparing for the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) International Congress on Nutrition which is due to take place in Paris in August. This congress, which is hosted every four-years, is the biggest global platform for nutritional science. The Nutrition Society will be hosting 3 interconnected symposia on obesity and weight management which may be of interest to BAPEN members: 1. The evolving story of obesity and genetics, 2. Deciphering the gut-brain axis for prevention and management of weight gain, and 3. Innovative strategies in the prevention of obesity. Journal Editor-in-Chiefs Professor John Mathers and Professor Bernard Corfe will also be hosting sessions on Addressing current issues for publishing nutrition science in academic journals and Improving data sharing in nutrition science respectively. At the exhibition stand there will be ‘Meet the Editor’ sessions to support those looking to publish in, or review for, our journals, and our Early Career Section will be hosting a networking session bringing together the global community of early career researchers – busy, busy! If you will be at the IUNS congress, do come by stand 47 in the exhibition hall and say hello.
The Society’s Medical Working Group (MWG) remains committed to supporting medical and healthcare professionals in engaging in evidence-based nutrition research and training. This will of course carry on through 2025 as I continue to engage with the needs of the BAPEN community through my role on BAPEN Council. In March this year I hosted a 1-day Conference on Alcohol – the forgotten nutritional component bringing together researchers and clinicians to share current knowledge within the field and explore the relationship between alcohol and nutrition. It was an excellent meeting that provided opportunities for networking, development of research questions and collaboration building. Within the Nutrition Society I work closely with the MWG chair, Dr Hannah O’Hara, Clinical Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast and Dr Oonagh Markey, Theme Lead for Nutrition in the treatment, management and prevention of disease, so I will keep you updated through InTouch as new initiatives and activities are planned.
BAPEN members are always very welcome at Nutrition Society’s events. Full details of the latest Conferences and member led meetings can be viewed here: www.nutritionsociety.org/conferences/conferences.
I hope you all enjoy the summer, and I will update you again in the autumn as we prepare for the annual BAPEN Conference which is always a highlight in my calendar!
All my very best, Caroline
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