Malnourishment on Hospital Wards Soars

By Barry Nelson

THE number of patients suffering from malnourishment on NHS wards in the region has more than doubled in two years, according to the Tories.

New figures obtained by the Conservatives have revealed that the number of harmful errors relating to poor nutritional care in NHS hospitals has spiralled dramatically.

Hospitals in the North-East saw the largest rise between 2005 and lastyear ? with reported incidents soaring from 389 in 2005 to 1,353 last year.

This means there were 964 more incidents in the NorthEast last year than in 2005 ? an increase of 248 per cent in two years.

The number of serious incidents, reported anonymously byNHS whistleblowers to the National Patient Safety Agency, rose from 15,000 in 2005 to over 29,000 last year ? nearly double.

The Tories say the increase underlines the scale of the challenge facing NHS staffin tackling malnutrition ? with NHS watchdogs warning that health professionals lack even basic tools to care for patients, such as weighing scales.

The figures also reveal stark regional variations. The number of serious incidents reported in the North-Eastmore than tripled between 2005 and last year, whereas the NorthWest saw amoremodest 46 per cent increase.

Shadow Health Minister Stephen O?Brien said: ?This is a further disgraceful statistic from a Government which has failed patients and the public.

People go to hospital expecting to get better, yet in 2007, 29,000 people suffered unnecessary and completely avoidable harm from poor nutritional care. ? Dr Kevin Cleary, medical director of the National Patient Safety Agency, said: ?A growth in incident- reporting reflects more NHS trusts connecting to the system and a greater willingness by NHS clinical stafft report incidents so that there ismeaningful learning, which helps prevent further similar incidents occurring. ?

Anne Sutcliffe, deputy director of nursing at South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ?It is alarming if people are not being fed, but one way of looking at that is that staff are being open and honest and raising the issue and they are not ignoring it. ?

Mrs Sutcliffe said patients are given a nutritional assessment when they are admitted and anyone who is malnourished is put on a special diet.

The trust also operates a ?red serviette? system, which identifies patients who need help to eat their food.

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