January 2012 - Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals

SWBTB (1/12) 276 (a)
records were completed properly. We saw that the meal coordinator asked questions of
some staff who had supported people to eat for clarity and confirmation regarding the
records.
Recent actions on the wards have improved mealtime experiences for people and have
reduced the risk of ill health due to poor diet and fluid intake.
We looked at a number of care records. We saw that people were weighed regularly.
We did not identify any significant weight loss. One person told us; "I did lose weight
when I was first ill. I have been told now that I am the perfect weight they want me to
be".
We spoke with staff who had worked on Newton 4 from March 2011 until present. They
confirmed how much improvement there was in terms of meals and meal times. They
said; "I bet you can see a difference to what you saw in March. There are staff available
to help people eat. Everything is more peaceful. People even know that they can ask
for food and snacks between meals. There have been big improvements".
Our judgement
Improvements in meal time processes, availability of food, drink and staff to give meal
time support and greater diligence in recording keeping gives people assurance that
their nutritional and hydration needs will be met.
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