Care home research earns medicines team recognition

17 January, 2014

City Health Care Partnership CIC (CHCP CIC) Medicines Service has had an article published by two national health and care websites, collecting £500 for charity in the process.

The article, which has been published on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) shared learning website and on Malnutrition Pathway’s website as a best practice example, is a summary of a research project.

The research was carried out to assess the effectiveness of a nurse led policy to manage malnutrition in care homes by putting standard screening and management plans for patients in place. The project showed that screening and appropriate management of malnutrition for all care home residents was effective in reducing malnutrition.

A reduction in malnutrition will benefit the patient’s wellbeing, malnourished people have more hospital admissions and readmissions, a longer length of stay in hospital and greater healthcare needs. The costs to screen and manage were more than offset by a reduction in healthcare costs.

Richard Maddison, Medicines Service Development Manager for CHCP CIC has said, “We hope the work we have carried out will encourage others to implement screening and appropriate management in order to improve care and outcomes.”

Malnutrition Pathway encourages professionals involved in the identification and management of adult malnutrition in the community to share their best practice through their website, with the best examples being awarded £500.

The CHCP CIC Medicines Service were awarded this money and decided to donate to the CHCP CIC’s registered charity City Health Care Partnership Foundation (CHCP Foundation).

CHCP Foundation promotes and supports health and wellbeing within the communities in which City Health Care Partnership CIC delivers services.