food nutrition : Hospitals miss targets over food nutrition (2)
In 2000, it was found that one-fifth of Scottish patients were not getting sufficient protein and energy to help their condition improve. Nutrition care also includes specialist support to feed patients with special conditions by tube or intravenously.
Although there is public pressure to improve the quality of hospital food, the NHS QIS is not committing to assess that until 2008. Standards were first drafted in 2001 and agreed three years ago, but yesterday's report only assessed whether health boards are planning strategically, whether they have systems for ensuring every patient is assessed for nutrition needs within one day of admission, and whether they have plans for training staff.
All the regional authorities were found to have systems for SCOTTISH health boards are failing to meet national guidelines set down three years ago to ensure food nutrition becomes part of patient care.
Four of them – Lothian, Fife, Orkney and Shetland – were found to lack even a plan and strategy for ensuring food, fluid and nutrition is made part of a patient's care, according to the NHS watchdog.
NHS Lothian was criticised for having only one specialist nurse providing advice and training for patients with complex nutrition care needs at Edinburgh's two main hospitals.
The national pattern showed there is an urgent need to increase the numbers of such expert nurses, though neither the watchdog nor the Scottish Executive was able to say how many there are.
No NHS board has yet earmarked funding to ensure nutrition targets are achieved. It was also found that links with social services to ensure nutrition support is continued in the community, are at a "very rudimentary stage".
The findings were published yesterday by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS), which reported major progress in getting hospital managers and clinicians to see nutrition as part of clinical care and helping patients recover.
Research has shown high levels of under-nourishment among patients. According to research from the 1990s, up to 50% of patients were under-nourished on admission, and yet the problem was identified in only one-quarter of those cases.
In 2000, it was found that one-fifth of Scottish patients were not getting sufficient protein and energy to help their condition improve. Nutrition care also includes specialist support to feed patients with special conditions by tube or intravenously.
Although there is public pressure to improve the quality of hospital food, the NHS QIS is not committing to assess that until 2008. Standards were first drafted in 2001 and agreed three years ago, but yesterday's report only assessed whether health boards are planning strategically, whether they have systems for ensuring every patient is assessed for nutrition needs within one day of admission, and whether they have plans for training staff.
All the regional authorities were found to have systems for assessing patients quickly, though none was found to be applying the rules throughout the board area.
Twelve boards have not yet introduced training plans to ensure the new approach to nutrition is applied at all levels.
The report concluded boards are working on a nutritional care policy and strategic plan, but "many are at an early stage and it was clear that nutritional care has not been on the strategic radar until fairly recently in some cases".
Andy Kerr, the Health Minister, said the report should be a "spur for improvement".
He said there has been a culture change since the national standards were published in 2003.
Earlier this year, Audit Scotland reported that spending on hospital food ranged from £42 per week in Highland to £280 in the Golden Jubilee Hospital, Clydebank.
Copyright © 2006 Newsquest
Although there is public pressure to improve the quality of hospital food, the NHS QIS is not committing to assess that until 2008. Standards were first drafted in 2001 and agreed three years ago, but yesterday's report only assessed whether health boards are planning strategically, whether they have systems for ensuring every patient is assessed for nutrition needs within one day of admission, and whether they have plans for training staff.
All the regional authorities were found to have systems for SCOTTISH health boards are failing to meet national guidelines set down three years ago to ensure food nutrition becomes part of patient care.
Four of them – Lothian, Fife, Orkney and Shetland – were found to lack even a plan and strategy for ensuring food, fluid and nutrition is made part of a patient's care, according to the NHS watchdog.
NHS Lothian was criticised for having only one specialist nurse providing advice and training for patients with complex nutrition care needs at Edinburgh's two main hospitals.
The national pattern showed there is an urgent need to increase the numbers of such expert nurses, though neither the watchdog nor the Scottish Executive was able to say how many there are.
No NHS board has yet earmarked funding to ensure nutrition targets are achieved. It was also found that links with social services to ensure nutrition support is continued in the community, are at a "very rudimentary stage".
The findings were published yesterday by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS), which reported major progress in getting hospital managers and clinicians to see nutrition as part of clinical care and helping patients recover.
Research has shown high levels of under-nourishment among patients. According to research from the 1990s, up to 50% of patients were under-nourished on admission, and yet the problem was identified in only one-quarter of those cases.
In 2000, it was found that one-fifth of Scottish patients were not getting sufficient protein and energy to help their condition improve. Nutrition care also includes specialist support to feed patients with special conditions by tube or intravenously.
Although there is public pressure to improve the quality of hospital food, the NHS QIS is not committing to assess that until 2008. Standards were first drafted in 2001 and agreed three years ago, but yesterday's report only assessed whether health boards are planning strategically, whether they have systems for ensuring every patient is assessed for nutrition needs within one day of admission, and whether they have plans for training staff.
All the regional authorities were found to have systems for assessing patients quickly, though none was found to be applying the rules throughout the board area.
Twelve boards have not yet introduced training plans to ensure the new approach to nutrition is applied at all levels.
The report concluded boards are working on a nutritional care policy and strategic plan, but "many are at an early stage and it was clear that nutritional care has not been on the strategic radar until fairly recently in some cases".
Andy Kerr, the Health Minister, said the report should be a "spur for improvement".
He said there has been a culture change since the national standards were published in 2003.
Earlier this year, Audit Scotland reported that spending on hospital food ranged from £42 per week in Highland to £280 in the Golden Jubilee Hospital, Clydebank.
Copyright © 2006 Newsquest
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