The number of patients becoming malnourished in hospital has doubled in just three years, according to an article on the Daily Mail.
Official figures show that a record 13,500 patients fell victim to some form of nutritional deficiency last year, raising concern amongst campaigners and relatives that nurses are now too busy to carry out basic duties of care.
It has been reported that the elderly tend to be most affected by cases of malnutrition, as they are often too weak to feed themselves.
Dr Peter Carter, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing said that the figures are a cause for ‘serious concern’.
He commented: “Nurses want to ensure they can serve the nutritional needs of patients, however with 27,000 posts earmarked to be cut in the NHS, steps need to be taken now to provide safe staffing levels and the right level of skill to ensure nutrition is a priority in hospitals.”
Despite the Government’s planned efficiency savings forcing NHS Trusts to make cuts wherever possible, patient experience and quality of care should not be affected. Ardentia’s Service Line Reporting ensures that nurses have the correct resources to be able to provide the highest standard of care regardless of the efficiency drive.
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