Patients suffer from failings in hospitals

Patients are suffering as a result of "major deficiencies" in the way hospitals organise intravenous feeding.

More than one in four people (29 per cent) given artificial nutrition are receiving it inappropriately, while some do not need it at all, says a report published today.

Furthermore, more than half of adult patients have not had their nutritional needs assessed, and some premature babies are missing out on the right nutrients to make them strong.

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Poor handling of feeding can result in a range of complications, which can prove fatal, yet around half could be avoided, today's report said.

Only one in five adults (19 per cent) given artificial nutrition are treated to a high standard alongside just 24 per cent of premature babies, according to the audit.

Bertie Leigh, chairman of the investigation which looked at the issue, described the findings as "deeply depressing".

He said the scale of disappointment among staff from the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death "verged on disbelief".

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Patients may require artificial nutrition when they are suffering intestinal failure or their gut is inaccessible due to a medical procedure.

The study looked at 877 adults and 264 babies from 218 hospitals in the UK.

All were receiving artificial nutrition between January and March 2008.

The investigation found that only 171 out of 877 adults (19 per cent) treated had care that represented "good practice".

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In 209 adult cases (24 per cent), care was "judged deficient in terms of both clinical and organisational factors", the study said.

Care was considered less than satisfactory in nine per cent of cases.

Mr Leigh called on the Government to appoint a nutrition tsar to "harness the energies of all those involved in artificial nutrition".

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