Barnsley senior staff leading nutrition and hydration week activities

Acting director of quality and performance Vicky Peverelle said the work was “very timely” as the trust had “recently introduced a number of new systems” in response to concerns about nutrition raised last year by the Care Quality Commission. She said: “”We took it very seriously and pleased that the CQC has acknowledged our significant improvements.”

Nutrition and hydration week runs from 23-27 January. According to a statement the senior figures will be “helping out during meal times on the wards”.

Activities will include:

• The launch of a new nutrition policy that outlines all roles and responsibilities of hospital staff around patient nutrition
• The hospital dietetics team will be on hand to answer any staff questions  in the staff dining room with all the latest nutrition training information throughout the week
• All wards will complete additional nutrition screening and hydration audits during the week
• The hospital will role out ‘nutritional status at a glance’ for all patients. This initiative is an extension of the existing ‘patient safety at a glance’ in the hospital. Magnetic whiteboards behind each patient’s bed will be labeled with magnetic symbols to indicate any special dietary requirements, if the patient needs assistance to eat and if they are on a red beaker or red tray pathway – which highlights that the patient needs extra nutritional support.