President's Message
Dr Trevor Smith, BAPEN President
Welcome to the 97th issue of InTouch.
This has been an extremely unusual quarter for BAPEN and our wider community. Amidst the loss, stress and uncertainty, I would like to commend the hard work of my colleagues, and our core groups, for their level-headedness, commitment and professionalism throughout this period. It has enabled us to come together and produce valuable and much needed resources and to ensure that our voices are heard. I am proud to lead an organisation which is able to come to the fore in this way, even in a time of great hardship.
Coronavirus resources
Our COVID-19 resources, developed by our various groups and committees, provide information on: home enteral and parenteral nutrition; enteral tube feeding safety; NG tube placements checks; PEG insertion and nutritional support for patients requiring NIV & CPAP. Our colleagues at NNNG have written comprehensive practical advice for managing nutritional support at this time. We have also compiled multiple resources on how best to support HPN patients and supported PINNT in their work here. These documents can all be accessed via our website and we will continue to keep them updated in line with the latest available evidence.
NG Tube Insertion as an AGP
The pandemic gave us cause to seriously examine the debate around whether NG tube placements should be considered an aerosol generating procedure. A summary of the considerations at play in this discussion can be found on our website. On the basis of the evidence available, we concluded that NG tube placements should be recognised as an AGP.
BAPEN wrote to Mr Selbie of Public Health England and Secretary of State Matt Hancock MP detailing our reasons for that decision and suggested that PHE revise their own position on the AGP status of upper airway procedures. Our letter was backed by The Royal College of Nursing and the British Dietetic Association.
In May, we received news that Health Protection Scotland did not think there was enough evidence to reclassify NG tube insertions as AGPs. We are naturally disappointed, but we will continue to work with our colleagues and expert groups from across the world to achieve this recognition. We hope that by publishing the letters of support we receive, such as a letter from the BSG commending our position, we will help demonstrate the need for urgent action on this issue.
I extend my thanks to everyone involved in this work. It is a difficult discussion to have, it is vitally important that patient care is not compromised as a result, but I believe we must act on the basis of the evidence to support the professionals involved. I will continue to update you as this conversation progresses.
Conference
The coronavirus outbreak also raised questions about the propriety of hosting our 2020 conference at the end of this year. After careful consideration and some sadness, we took the decision to announce cancellation. It is sadly inevitable that everybody will be under significant pressure later this year, and it seems highly likely that large gatherings will still be unsafe. We had a brilliant conference last year in Belfast and we received fantastic feedback, so we were looking forward to this year immensely. For an organisation like BAPEN, conference is a hugely important way to connect so it is a great shame. But we are currently thinking creatively about ways of coming together virtually in November so watch this space on that.
BDA Dietitians Week
I am very glad, especially in light of how much has been postponed, that BDA Dietitians week went ahead at the start of this month. The focus was on celebrating the diversity of the dietetic community, and this made for a great theme. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the breadth of roles within the community, and I sincerely hope that the week has helped clarify the importance of the dietitian role. There is of course a great deal of confusion amongst the public as to the role of dietitians, but I think sadly many other healthcare professionals are not as clear as they might be about the importance of dietetic work, so work like this is much needed. As ever, it was a delight to see professionals on the ground sharing their thoughts and achievements on social media. The BDA is a fantastic organisation and I think we gain a lot by working so closely together on many issues. Congratulations to the team there and everybody involved with the week.
UK MAW 2020
You will hopefully have heard the news that we are going ahead with UK Malnutrition Awareness Week 2020, which is taking place from 5th – 12th October. The week is likely to come at a time when the pent-up demand for health services will be at its peak, and many people who are ‘at risk’ may only just be reconnecting with healthcare teams and local services. It is now more critical than ever that we raise awareness, so that the public and professionals can identify and treat those at risk as soon as possible. I look forward to October, but this year I do so with a heightened sense of the importance of putting malnutrition firmly on the radar.
On this note, do not forget that we have a number of online nutritional resources to support our diverse community. Our ‘MUST’ self-screening tool can be used by patients or carers where contact with a professional is not possible. We also provide alternative means of assessment where height and weight cannot be obtained. Guidance on ways of using ‘MUST’ at this time can be found on the coronavirus section of our website.
I hope that over the next three months, we each stay as connected and safe as possible. I reiterate how grateful I am to be I am part of a community of individuals with such fortitude, good sense and genuine care for their patients. My thanks and well wishes go out to each one of you.
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