Four Nation Support For BAPEN's UK-Wide Nutrition Screening Week On Malnutrition

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Eating Disorders
Article Date: 13 Sep 2007 - 16:00 PDT

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BAPEN is delighted to announce the support of the Welsh Assembly Government, the Scottish Government, the Chief Nursing Officer in Northern Ireland and the Department of Health in England for the UK's first Nutrition Screening Week (NSW) to establish the extent of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care homes across all four nations.

"At present we do not know the precise percentage of people being admitted to hospital or care homes in the UK who are at risk of malnutrition," says Christine Russell, BAPEN project lead for NSW.

We are delighted to have strong government and professional support right across the UK to help us address this issue and recruit as many hospitals and care homes to take part and generate robust and up-to-date data.

Most of the data we currently have is over 10 years old with the studies using different criteria to define malnutrition. Screening for malnutrition risk on these three days in September during NSW and collecting data based on 'MUST' will provide us with a very clear set of data and reflect what is happening in the community where most malnutrition is to be found.

Additionally, it will provide evidence for hospitals and care homes on the scale of the problem they have to tackle in their own care settings and regions - the numbers of patients and residents for whom a nutritional care plan should be provided."

In Wales, the offices of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) have pledged their support and to encourage hospitals and care homes in Wales to take part information and links are being uploaded onto the CMO and CNO's websites and sent directly through the appropriate networks.

In Scotland, the CNO is bringing the Screening Week to the attention of the Nurse Directors of the NHS Boards in Scotland and to the care home sector via the Scottish Commission for the Regulation of Care.

In Northern Ireland, Directors of Nursing in the Health and Social Care Trusts have been invited to sign up to the screening survey and information is being cascaded to the independent sector to encourage a significant representation from Northern Ireland.

The Department of Health in England have published information on their Dignity in Care website, Champions Network and newsletter and disseminated information through the Chief Nursing Office Bulletin and the NHS Communications Link network.

Professor Marinos Elia, Chair of BAPEN, adds: "The new UK-wide data on malnutrition collected during BAPEN's Nutrition Screening Week will establish the extent of the problem in the community and help governments and healthcare professionals address this significant public health issue. Malnutrition is preventable and if treated early can improve outcomes for patients and residents. In the long run, treatment saves the NHS and social care system money as the cost of treatment is small compared with the potential benefits to be gained."

The results of the Nutrition Screening Week will be announced on the first day of the BAPEN Conference - Malnutrition Matters - Tuesday 27th November 2007 in Harrogate (Conference Registration details at http://www.bapen.org.uk )

To participate in NSW

All hospitals and care homes across the UK can participate in the Nutrition Screening Week and contribute to the urgently needed national data bank on malnutrition that will be generated. For more details, log on to http://www.bapen.org.uk. Here you will find background information, the forms to be used by Hospitals and Care Homes during the 3 days of the Survey, Guidance Notes and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document.

Staff in hospitals and care homes wishing to participate should secure approval from Management or their Line Manager and then register. To register, please email your contact details to the BAPEN Office Bapen@sovereignconference.co.uk Tel: 01527-457850. A Registration Form will then be sent for completion, followed by the issue of a Registration Number and full participation details.

"Hospitals and care homes involved in piloting the forms recently, using the Guidance Notes and sample screening during July and August, have reported that they had no trouble in getting approval to participate and it was easy or very easy to take part," adds Christine Russell, "but any further queries can be raised by emailing the BAPEN Office."

Closing date for registrations is Friday 21st September 2007. / *'MUST' Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool was developed and produced by the Malnutrition Advisory Group (MAG) of BAPEN (British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition).

BAPEN is undertaking the first national nutrition screening survey in the UK across both hospital and community care settings 25 - 27th September 2007, in collaboration with the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and with the support of the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA). The Department of Health in England, the Chief Nursing Officer in Northern Ireland, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Government have confirmed their support for the initiative.

Why is such a survey needed?

- The prevalence of malnutrition in UK is based on data collected in studies undertaken over 10 years ago involving a limited number of institutions. It may not reflect the magnitude of the problem today.
- Different criteria were used to define malnutrition in these studies.
- The BAPEN Nutrition Screening Week will be the first prospective national survey of the prevalence of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care in the UK.

What is the purpose of the survey?

- It will complement the data collected during the European Nutrition Day audits. The amount of paperwork required for the UK survey is considerably less.
- It will be used to inform the Department of Health and other government departments, other organisations and the media of the current magnitude of the problem of malnutrition on admission to hospital and care homes.

What will be the outcomes of the survey?

- Data from participating centres will be analysed and returned to reporters to enable local data to be compared with national figures.
- The results of the survey will be presented at BAPEN 2007 (Harrogate 27/28 Nov.)
- The results of the survey will also form the basis of launching or promoting other initiatives such as education and training of health professionals, including nurses, who usually undertake nutritional screening.

Nutrition Screening Week is an initiative of BAPEN in collaboration with the British Dietetic Association and the Royal College of Nursing, supported by the National Patient Safety Agency, the Department of Health in England, the Welsh Assembly Government, the Scottish Government and the Chief Nursing Officer in Northern Ireland.

http://www.bapen.org.uk