Thousands In UK Malnourished

Recent figures have confirmed that thousands of patients are being treated for malnutrition at hospitals in England.

17:09 25 November 2015

Thousands of people in the United Kingdom are malnourished. Based on recent figures, there were 193 "episodes" of malnutrition in 12 months at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust alone.

 

The figures were released after Tameside Hospital set up a permanent food bank on site.

 

The Trussell Trust food bank charity said it feared families are struggling to afford to feed themselves.

 

There are warnings that parents are going without food so their children do not go hungry.

 

Trisha Jarman from Tameside East food bank said: "There are a lot of people out there that are malnourished.

 

"It's not just people coming into hospital, it's across the board. People are struggling to feed themselves and their families, particularly at this time of the year."

 

Kirstine Farrer, head of innovation and research at Salford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: "A report by the BAPEN (British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition) in 2013 suggested that of Salford's population of 35,000 aged 65 years or older, 14 per cent - or almost 5,000 people - may be at risk of malnutrition."