Making sure our patients get the food and drink they need is a MUST(Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool) do.

It is an essential part of their recovery and there is five-step screening tool  called the MUST to identify adults who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. It includes management guidelines which can be used to develop a care plan.

A patient’s ‘MUST’ score should be calculated within four hours of their admission and then weekly.   Nationally there is a high rate malnourished patients who are admitted into hospital being discharged with malnutrition untreated and poor wound healing is one of many consequences of malnutrition.  

It is the responsibility of all nursing staff to ensure each patient’s MUST is calculated.  ‘MUST Mondays’ is to get your ward into a routine – however if it is not done on Mondays ensure it is done weekly!

Make sure to calculate a patients ‘MUST’ and refer to the dietetics department if required.

Before referring, make sure you commence a food record chart and ensure the patient has been weighed weekly – this will ensure the dietitian can do a full assessment and put in place an appropriate plan for the patient.

You can access a paper copy of the ‘MUST’ on the trust intranet - click here.  The team also offers Nutrition and Hydration training sessions for staff  and can arrange some ward level training for accurate completion of the ‘MUST’  form.

Please contact the HRI team on x2749 for more information.

We should ALL work together to ensure patient safety is never comprised and ensure patients who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition get the accurate treatment that they are entitled to.