§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals do not screen as routine the nutritional status of patients being admitted to hospital. [24310]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 3 January 2002]: The Department does not collect these data. The standard on general hospital care in the National Service Framework for Older People, published in March 2001, sets the need for nutritional screening to identify those at nutritional risk within the wider context of the good care management of older people in hospital. Food and nutrition is also one of the best practice standards in "The Essence of Care: patient-focused benchmarking for health care practitioners" which was published in February 2001 and will be used to support health professionals. In addition, the single assessment process for older people will require health professionals to collect information on nutritional status at the initial stage. Detailed guidance on the single assessment process was published on 28 January 2002.