More patients leave hospital malnourished

More patients are leaving hospital malnourished than those admitted for the problem, according to Government figures.

Forty patients were admitted with a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnutrition at hospitals run by Pennine Acute in 2009/10 but 41 were discharged, the Department of Health data showed.

The Trust runs the Rochdale Infirmary, the Royal Oldham, Fairfield General and North Manchester.

The previous year 38 patients were admitted and the same number discharged. In 2007/8, 31 patients entered hospital malnourished and 41 left suffering the condition.

Across England the picture is worse with 3,773 patients admitted with a primary or secondary diagnosis of malnutrition, but 4,412 discharged.

Jay Catterall, the Trust’s head of nutrition and dietetics service, said: “If a patient is given a malnutrition diagnosis it does not imply they were still malnourished when they were discharged from hospital.

“For example, a patient admitted to hospital with a stomach ulcer may not have been able to eat properly, they will have a primary diagnosis indicating a stomach ulcer and could have a secondary diagnosis of malnutrition.

“The Trust serves a population of around 820,000 and many of our patients come from some of the most deprived communities in the country.

“This means many people will be malnourished before they are admitted to hospital. In addition, due to their illness patients can struggle to eat and drink.

“It is therefore encouraging to see that only 40 patients were admitted to our hospitals in 2009/10 with malnutrition as a secondary condition, while 41 patients were discharged from our four hospitals with the diagnosis of malnutrition or nutritional anaemia.”

Patients are screened for malnutrition and those identified as being at high risk often receive specific care plans for individuals by specialist dieticians.

Malnutrition is estimated to cost the NHS £7.3 billion every year, partly through prolonging hospital stays, contributing to infections and increasing the need for drugs.