Press Releases

Latest Age Concern survey says "public blames managers for starving patients": HCA Response

Embargo: 00.01 Thursday 25 January 2007

In response to the latest research findings, announced today (Thursday 25 January 2007), by Age Concern which revealed that 7 out of 10 people would blame managers if patients did not get fed in hospital, the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) believes that no one job function alone should be apportioned total blame for a situation which occurs as a result of multi-disciplinary failings. Everyone involved in the process of food service and delivery - from kitchen to ward - shares equal responsibility. Within an acute NHS hospital environment, many of the issues associated with elderly patients being inhibited in some way from eating, such as food being left out of their reach, only serve to indicate that there are glaring inadequacies in the delivery and food service process to and on many of our hospital wards in this country.

Commenting on the urgent need for hospitals to address the issue of how to establish higher levels of food service at ward level, Alison McCree, Chairman, Hospital Caterers Association says:

"For the last few years, the HCA has been continuously raising its own concerns over the unacceptable levels of malnutrition and under-nourishment amongst elderly patients. The plain and perhaps unpalatable truth of the matter is that as the process of food service and delivery is multi-disciplinary involving a whole chain of professionals, the blame cannot be placed on any one group's shoulders"

"Regrettably, many of the failings and inadequacies that lead to the majority of the situations highlighted this week where elderly patients are not served the right food, cannot reach their food or are not being helped with eating, need to be addressed at ward level. Managers have a vital role to play but it is at the coal face on the wards where attitudes and actions need to change. No change can or will happen without greater collaboration between dietitians, clinicians, nursing staff and caterers".

The HCA believes the following actions are the key to bringing about positive improvements in the nutritional intake and status of elderly patients:

  1. There is an urgent need for a more effective and mandatory nutritional screening system for elderly patients on admission followed by a vigilant monitoring process throughout their stay.
  2. Many hospitals need to urgently review the obstacles that mitigate against establishing higher levels of food service and delivery on their wards. A better 'joined up' delivery and service process needs to be created with training to improve attitudes of nursing staff towards their role in assisting patients with their meals but also to food in general.
  3. Greater communication, collaboration and co-operation between dietitians, nurses, clinicians and caterers to identify 'at risk' patients. Under direction from them, caterers can and do prepare specially tailored food for individual patients.
  4. All 'at risk' patients should be given access to food outside of the prescribed service times where necessary and all wards should nominate a Nutritional Link Nurse.
  5. To relieve the pressure on nurses, the HCA believe that Ward Housekeepers or 'Hostesses' are a key solution to helping prevent elderly patients becoming under-nourished. If they were deployed to work alongside nursing staff on all wards, they would greatly assist with monitoring patients' consumption patterns, ensuring meals were correct and not missed and keeping their dietary progress under constant observation.

Adding a final comment, Alison McCree says: "We need greater cross-team collaboration if we are ever going to crack the problems of protecting the nutritional status of our elderly patients. We need improved attitudes from all clinical staff on the wards towards food and we need greater acknowledgement of its role in the healing process. Managers can make changes to policies and approve new measures but it is down to the staff from the kitchens to the wards that need to put the actions into practice".

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Contact:
Hazel Green, National Press Officer, HCA
Mob Tel: 07950 007169 (Office Tel: 020 8464 6378) E: HaGreen7@aol.com

25 January 2007

Notes to Editors:

The HCA launched a Good Practice Guide for Healthcare Food and Beverage Service Standards in April 2006. The Guide sets out the standards that patients should expect and is a 'how to' manual for hospitals to achieve the delivery of improved services at ward level. It is aimed at all those involved in food services including doctors, nurses and dietitians. It points out that food is as integral to patient care as any of their treatment. By adopting the principles of this Guide, all hospitals have at their fingertips the solution to transforming their food and beverage services so that patients improved mealtimes experiences will have a positive effect on their nutritional intake as well as their mental and physical wellbeing.

The Guide won praise and endorsement from a number of high profile organisations including the RCN, the NPSA and the Patients Association. Clare Rayner, President of the Patients Association said: "If all hospitals in Britain ran their food service to their patients according to this Guide, they would be doing more than some of them realise to ensure their patients' wellbeing'.

Download the Age Concern press release: HCAAgeConcernSurveyReleaseJan07.doc