A new Clinically Assisted Nutrition and Hydration (CANH) medical toolkit is available. It has been adapted from the existing CANH toolkit for acute brain injury (used on the stroke ward) by our Dietitian, SaLT, Frailty, Safeguarding, Learning Disabilities, CNS Nutrition, Stroke, Acute medicine, Respiratory, Geriatrics, Palliative and Dementia teams.

• Both CANH toolkits have been produced based on the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and BMA guidance: ‘Clinically-assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH) and adults who lack the capacity to consent’.
• The toolkits help to guide the conversation / decision making process around CANH discussions in (adult) patients who lack capacity to make a decision about CANH.
• Relates to decisions re: Starting / Not starting / Re-starting (e.g. after tube blockage, tube perishes, dislodges etc) / Continuing / Withdrawing CANH. Applies to a recent or long-term need for CANH.
• Completion of these toolkits allows for a consistent and standardised process for CANH discussions, which is both legally sound and patient-centred.
• The toolkits can be completed by any member of the MDT within a CANH meeting – but usually they are completed by the lead clinician.
• The new CANH medical toolkit is now live and available to use on EPR (as a preconfigured template) - search 'CANH' 

Some training sessions have already been delivered to medical consultants on the relevant wards. To arrange any further training sessions, please contact: Sandy.Wong@cht.nhs.uk (at HRI) or Christopher.Burchell@cht.nhs.uk (at CRH).

You can also find the toolkit on the Nutrition and Dietetics intranet pages: Clinically assisted nutrition and hydration (CANH) for patients who lack capacity - CHFT Intranet -  just search 'CANH'.