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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Lib Dem Finnie calls for probe into hospital malnutrition deaths

Scottish Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Ross Finnie has called for ministers to investigate whether malnutrition in hospital patients is being properly diagnosed after official figures sought by the Liberal Democrats showed that this was the cause of death for 450 people in hospital over the last five years.

Ross Finnie said:

"It is alarming that anyone in Scotland is dying of malnutrition in this day and age.
"Most victims are elderly people, many of whom have conditions that make eating difficult or need help with their meals.
"These figures raise the serious concern that in some hospitals, malnutrition is not being properly diagnosed.
"Ministers must investigate this issue as a matter of urgency."
I think he's right to ask the Government to make sure that there are procedures in place to check that patients, particularly the elderly, are eating as well as they can, and helping them if they can't, for example, feed themselves.
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