NHS patients died after they were fed solid food in error

TWO patients died and hundreds of others came to harm after being mistakenly fed solid food by NHS staff, its internal watchdog has warned.

They were given solid meals including hash browns, mince and peas, despite being on so-called ‘soft diets’.

There were at least 270 incidents across the NHS between October 2015 and September 2017 where patients were given the wrong foods. Patients are normally put on soft diets if they have difficulties swallowing.

One patient choked after being served mince and peas for lunch. The person was only revived after doctors inserted a suction tube down their throat to remove the food.

NHS Improvement has given hospitals and other healthcare organisations until April to abandon the use of the term soft diet because it causes too much confusion. Dr Kathy McLean, execu- tive medical director and chief operating officer at the watchdog, said: ‘Vulnerable patients have died or been harmed because there is confusion in the way people describe what type of food is suitable for those with swallowing or chewing difficulties.

‘We are calling on everyone providing NHS-funded care to start using precise terminology to help avoid further harm. This will help save lives and make the NHS safer.’ Hospitals have been told to appoint a team of staff, including doctors, nurses and dieticians, to implement clearer, more precise terminology.

Ideally, the watchdog wants all organisations to follow internationally recognised guidelines which specify exactly what type of foods patients can eat. This might include liquidised, pureed, minced or moist depending on the severity of a patient’s swallowing difficulties.

The description would be clearly displayed at the end of patients’ beds and in their medical notes to inform nurses or healthcare assistants in charge of feeding.

Kamini Gadhok, chief executive of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, said: ‘We have long-standing concerns about the risk to vulnerable patients because of imprecise terminology such as “soft diet” and the confusion that can arise.’ Swallowing difficulties – or dysphagia – often occur due to a stroke, head injury, dementia or mouth or throat cancer. Some patients have problems swallowing certain foods or liquids, while others can’t swallow at all.

Alison Smith, chairman of the Older People Specialist Group of the British Dietetic Association, said: ‘Widespread adoption and use of IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative) in the UK can only assist trusts and care homes to adhere to this NHS Improvement alert and therefore to improve patient safety in relation to modified texture food for people with swallowing difficulties.’

Earlier this month, NHS Improvements and NHS England drew up plans to reduce the number of ‘long stay’ patients by a quarter to ease pressure on bed numbers.

Up to 18,000 patients currently occupy hospital beds for stays of at least three weeks.

There are a little over 130,000 beds on the NHS in England, meaning nearly one in eight are occupied by long-stay patients.