What should the Ten Year Plan say about nutritional care?

Teams across the NHS and social care have been celebrating Nutrition and Hydration Week 2025 this week (16-23 March) to show how good nutrition and proper hydration are vital parts of patient safety and high quality care.

 There's been a whole range of wonderful activity through the week - from Thirsty Thursday which looks at all the creative ways to help people stay well hydrated, Fruity Friday focussing on the importance of getting fruit into your diet or a particular favourite at BSNA - the Global Tea Party on Wednesday - that celebrates how food can bring people together, creating some joy and fun while boosting nutritional intake where needed.

Yet, behind all this light hearted activity is a serious message - more must (and can!) be done to better manage malnutrition in the UK today - for the benefit of patients and the health of the NHS budget. 

𝙉𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, around 98% of whom are living outside the hospital setting. Annual health and social care costs associated with malnutrition are estimated at 𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 £20 𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚.

NHSE recognises that malnutrition can result in increased demand for GP services, both in- and out-of-hours, longer and more frequent hospital stays and decreased quality of life. Unfortunately, however, all too often nutrition support guidelines and standards are forgotten or ignored.

𝘚𝘰, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘏𝘚 10 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘺𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯?

As the document that will set out the route to achieving the Government's vision for transformational shifts in prevention and 'neighbourhood' healthcare, the 10 Year Plan will be the key opportunity to truly embed optimum nutrition into our health and care system. 

At the heart of an integrated approach to malnutrition is the need to view positive nutrition as a value-based and population health care proposition as well as a key factor in driving an effective preventative health agenda. Investing in effective nutritional care outside of hospital and recognising the value of person centred nutritional support in hospital has the potential to prevent far more complex and costly health outcomes. 

Through Nutrition and Hydration Week 2025 we have seen the passion and commitment of so many teams across the NHS and social care to good nutrition and hydration. It is now time for a national clinical lead in the expanded DHSC and local ICBs to provide the direction that will ensure nutritional care is embedded across all care settings - whether patients are in hospital, in the community or at home.