Andrew Percy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2015-12-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department is encouraging the use of medical nutrition as a integral part of healthcare where there is an identified clinical need; and if he will make a statement.
Jane Ellison
Doctors are able to advise patients on any aspect of diet relevant to the treatment and management of a medical condition as part of their normal practise.
The Government also takes active steps to support healthy eating and vitamin supplementation as a protective measure. The Healthy Start scheme is a United Kingdom wide government scheme to improve the health of low income pregnant women and families on benefits and tax credits. Women who are at least 10 weeks pregnant and families with children under four years old get vouchers to spend on milk, plain fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables (with nothing added). They also receive a voucher to swap, free of charge, for Healthy Start vitamins. Healthy start vitamins contain the supplements recommended by the Department to prevent deficiency; Vitamins D and C and folic acid for pregnant women and vitamins A, C and D for children.
Hospital food standards for the National Health Service are written into the NHS Standard Contract 2015/16 which is the key document governing the purchase and provision of NHS services. Providers are obliged under the terms of their legally-binding contracts with commissioners to adhere to these requirements. The five food standards are:
For patient catering:
– The 10 Key Characteristics of Good Nutritional Care, NHS England
– Nutrition and Hydration Digest, British Dietetic Association
– Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool or equivalent, British Association for Parental and Enteral Nutrition.
For staff and visitor catering:
– Healthier and More Sustainable Catering – Nutrition Principles (for staff and visitor catering), Public Health England.
For all catering:
– Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering Services, Defra.
For patients whose dietary requirements are not represented by the ‘eatwell plate’, a personal nutritional care plan should be implemented and tailored dietetic advice sought. The specific nutritional needs of individual patients should always supersede the application of blanket principles.
