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As 40% of older people are malnourished on admission to hospital, all patients should be weighed and their height measured on admission.

Their weight should then be checked regularly during their stay in hospital and action taken where needed.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines, issued in February 2006, recommend that:

• All hospital inpatients on admission and all outpatients at their first clinic appointment should be screened (weighed, measured and have Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated).
• Screening should be repeated weekly.
• A clear process should be established for documenting the outcomes of screening and the subsequent actions taken if the patient is recognised as malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.

Hospitals in Coventry use a nutritional assessment screening tool to score a patient’s risk of undernutrition. Patients who are found to be at high risk are given written action plans for staff to follow to improve their nutritional status, and screening is repeated at regular intervals.

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