Northern Ireland launches nursing care standards in response to RCN Nutrition campaign

14 November 2007

Northern Ireland's Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) has today issued nursing care standards for hospital food in direct response to the Royal College of Nursing's Nutrition Now campaign.

The publication of the standards follows the release last month of a Nutrition Action Plan by the Department of Health.

The standards, which have been developed for nurses working in all in-patient facilities in Northern Ireland, will see patients who require support with eating and drinking clearly identified and all patients admitted to hospital screened for risk of malnutrition.

High-risk patients will receive a full nutritional assessment.

Announcing the launch of the Standards, the Chief Nursing Officer for Northern Ireland, Martin Bradley, said:

"By working with nurses, healthcare assistants, dieticians, catering staff as well as speech and language therapists, we are working towards improving the patient experience of food and mealtimes in hospitals."

The Nursing Care Standards for Patient Food in Hospital, called "Get your 10 a Day", have been developed by the DHSSPS Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery and the Royal College of Nursing's Northern Ireland Office.

Northern Ireland's Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, said he was "delighted that nurses and midwives have put food in hospital high on their agenda and are leading the way in improving patient care."

For more information, visit www.dhsspsni.gov.uk.