An organisation for GPs has labelled the rise in malnutrition cases over the past decade "unacceptable and extraordinary", with England seeing more than 10,000 admissions for a fourth year in a row. New figures from NHS England show there were around 75 admissions for malnutrition last year at the Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, a rise from 40 admissions a year earlier. These figures are rounded to the nearest five.
They cover a range of conditions – including dietary issues and problems with absorbing nutrients or eating normally. Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said there is a well-established link between access to fresh and healthy food and better physical health. "A poor diet increases a patient’s risk of developing a range of nutritional diseases – malnutrition, rickets, scurvy, iron, vitamin and folate deficiencies, all of which are becoming increasingly common.
In addition, they can also exacerbate chronic conditions a patient may already have," she added. Professor Hawthorne said GPs are treating a growing number of health conditions linked to deprivation, suggesting hospital admissions are only "the tip of the iceberg". She recommended the Government take a preventative approach to support people's health and ease pressure on the NHS.
England has seen more than 10,000 admissions for malnutrition in every year since the start of the pandemic, although last year saw a slight fall to 10,728 admissions..