Malnutrition
Elia, M., Stratton, R., Russell, C, Green, F. (2005) The cost of disease-related malnutrition in the UK and economic considerations for the use of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) in adults: executive summary Redditch: British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
The executive summary of a health economic report from BAPEN examines the cost of malnutrition in the UK and provides a cost analysis on use of oral nutritional supplements in hospital and the community.
Read The cost of disease-related malnutrition in the UK and economic considerations for the use of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) in adults: executive summary (PDF 29KB) on the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition website.
Elia, M., Russell, C. (2009) Combating malnutrition: recommendations for action - executive summary Redditch: British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
This new BAPEN report is the culmination of work undertaken by a group of experts in malnutrition, led by BAPEN. Launched in Parliament on 10 February 2009, it sets out how the vast majority of those at risk of the condition are living in the community - and not in care homes and hospitals, where the focus of Government action has been to date. It also sets out how the disproportionate burden of malnutrition in deprived areas exacerbates health inequalities. The report puts forward 25 actions that the Government needs to lead in order to reduce both the cost of the condition to the taxpayer, and the number of those at risk. The executive summary is available on the British Association for Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition website.
Russell, C., Elia, M. (2009) Nutrition screening survey in the UK in 2008: hospitals, care homes and mental health units Redditch: British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.
BAPEN's second Nutrition Screening Week Survey Report (NSW08) has revealed that weighing scales are not being calibrated on a regular basis contrary to national standards and an alert from the Department of Health. Without accurate scales to use to gain weight information, patients and residents in care may be 'misclassified' as being at risk of malnutrition or not. BAPEN's NSW08 Report reveals that the practice of regular calibration of scales varies in all care settings. It was more likely to occur in care homes (84%) than in hospitals (60%) and least likely to happen in mental health units (33%).
Read Nutrition screening survey in the UK in 2008: hospitals, care homes and mental health units (PDF 1.44MB) on the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition website.
Russell, C., Elia, M. (2009) Screening for malnutrition in sheltered housing - executive summary Redditch: British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition with the Group on Nutrition in Sheltered Housing (GNASH).
A new Report from GNASH (Group on Nutrition and Sheltered Housing) led by BAPEN has established that 14% (c. 1 in 8) of tenants in sheltered housing in England are at risk of malnutrition, with 9% at high risk. The GNASH Report 'Screening for Malnutrition in Sheltered Housing' was launched on Tuesday 12 May 2009. Based on a population of 700,000 tenants in sheltered housing in England, it is estimated therefore that, at any one time, there are more individuals at risk of malnutrition in sheltered housing than there are in hospital.
Read Screening for malnutrition in sheltered housing - executive summary (PDF 240KB) on the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition website.
Royal College of Nursing (2006) Malnutrition: what nurses working with children and young people need to know and do: an RCN position statement, London: RCN.
Nurses who work with children and young people have an important role in identifying whether children are at risk of malnutrition and monitoring it. This position statement is aimed at all such nurses in GP practices, outpatient departments, hospitals, health centres and schools. This is available in the Publications section of this site.