In response to the Department of Health’s final year report for the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board‚ Michelle Mitchell‚ Charity Director for Age Concern and Help the Aged‚ said:

“Despite thousands of older people dying in hospital while malnourished each year‚ the failure of Health Ministers to lay out any concrete actions to tackle the problem will mean this scandal will continue.

“It is hugely disappointing that despite a lot of goodwill and excellent work among some individual hospital trusts‚ ending malnutrition has been reduced to a talking shop by the Government. 

“We launched the Hungry to Be Heard campaign over 3 years ago to demand action from the Government.  We know 1 million older people in the community are malnourished‚ yet there is still no evidence of any real progress on this problem.

“The Government must make ending malnutrition an urgent priority by showing leadership and ensuring that all hospitals are taking effective action. Implementing our 7 simple steps would help improve mealtimes for patients in hospital‚ which is good start.”