What’s New • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NEWS • NHS Spends more on Hospital Food but


Significant Variation Remains Department of Health figures published today show the NHS is spending more on food than ever before. The average amount spent per patient per day has increased by almost ten per cent over the last two years, to £8.77.


However, there is still significant regional variation on costs, with the biggest spending hospital spending £15.65 per patient on food – almost double the average and over £10 more than the lowest spending hospital. Across the NHS, the cost of food remains


very low (at less than 0.5 per cent of the NHS budget) and previous studies have shown that there is no direct link between quality and cost when it comes to hospital food. However, the high levels of variation across the country suggest that some hospitals may need to spend more, while others could become more efficient. The new figures have been published just


days after Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt launched a new drive to improve the quality of food which will address this variation – by seeking out those hospitals that are providing high quality food and examining how this can be replicated across the country. The new drive also includes: Clear directions for hospitals on reducing


fat and salt, including more fruit and vegetables on the menu and making sure food is bought in an environmentally sustainable way; eight clear principles the NHS must follow for patient food; and new


patient-led hospital inspections to make sure these principles are followed and standards actually improve. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:


“Patients need high quality, nutritious food – this a crucial part of their care, particularly for older patients. The figures published today show while the NHS is spending more on food as a whole, costs vary wildly across the country. What’s not clear is whether when the price


drops, quality drops too. I want to find out if there is a link between what is spent and the quality of food delivered; and if not, why not.” Teams of inspectors, half of whom must


be patients themselves, have now started pilot inspections across the country looking at aspects of food that are important to patients – including taste, quality, temperature, and the cleanliness of ward kitchens. Financial incentives for hospitals who deliver exceptional service are also being explored. The Government has teamed up with


charities and professional bodies, including Age UK, the Patients Association and the Royal College of Nursing, to drive up food standards.


Hybrid System for Food Labelling Given Green Light


Consumers will be able to make healthier choices about the food they eat with the introduction of a new, consistent system of front of pack labelling, Health Minister Anna Soubry announced.


The announcement of the proposed system – a combination of guideline daily amounts (GDA), colour coding and high/medium/low text – comes after a three-month consultation with retailers, manufacturers and other interested parties on what a consistent, clear front of pack label should look like. Many retailers already use variants of a


hybrid system, and some provide only GDA. However they each display the information with different visuals, colour and content making it hard for consumers to compare foods. The UK Governments will be working with


industry and other partners to agree the detail of the system and make sure they use consistent visuals to show – on front of packs – how much fat, saturated fat, salt and sugar, and how many


calories are in food products. Public Health Minister, Anna Soubry, said:


“The UK already has the largest number of products with front of pack labels in Europe but research has shown that co nsumers get confused by the wide variety of labels used. By having a consistent system we will all be able to see at a glance what is in our food. This will help us all choose healthier options and control our calorie intake. Obesity and poor diet cost the NHS billions of


pounds every year. Making small changes to our diet can have a big impact on our health and could stop us getting serious illnesses – such as heart disease – later in life.” The new label is expected to be in use by


summer 2013.


Gastric Bypass Surgery just as Effective in


Teenagers as in Adults Teenagers with severe obesity can benefit from gastric bypass surgery just as much as adults. A study by Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, found that 81 teenagers lost an average of 96.8 pounds following surgery, significantly improving their health and quality of life.


The study, published by the International Journal of Obesity, involved eighty-one 13-18 year olds who had gastric bypass surgery, which had previously been performed on people younger than 18 in exceptional cases only. The new study found that gastric bypass


surgery is just as effective in teenagers as in adults. At two-year follow-up, the teenagers had averaged weight loss from 292.6 to 195.8 pounds, their self-rated quality of life had increased and a number of risk factors for cardiovascular disease – primarily insulin levels – had greatly improved. "The teenagers who participated in the study


represent a highly vulnerable group, with a history of psychosocial problems related to obesity, including bullying and underlying mental disease," says Torsten Olbers, a researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy, Senior Surgeon at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the leader of the study. "With that in mind, the results are


surprisingly good. We will certainly want to carefully examine potential adverse effects of gastric bypass surgery in teenagers. But no other treatment is currently available for this group. Moreover, we know from earlier studies that teenagers with severe obesity are at risk of developing other diseases and poorer quality of life as adults. For that reason, we hope that the method can eventually be offered to more teenagers," Torsten Olbers concludes. "Given that these teenagers have tried all


other weight control options and are extremely difficult to treat, pediatricians are very receptive to a new treatment method," says Professor Claude Marcus at Karolinska Institutet, who was the pediatrician in charge. The researchers stress that gastric bypass


surgery does not automatically have an effect on psychological problems: some of the teenagers continued to experience them despite having lost weight. Furthermore, surgical complications such as volvulus and gallstones required follow-up surgery in some cases.


The study was published in International Journal of Obesity on September 25. Link to article: http://bit.ly/T1css3


BAPEN In Touch No.67 November 2012 2


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