‘Shortcomings’ in how hospitals manage risk of malnutrition

The State’s health services watchdog found shortcomings in how three major acute hospitals in Dublin and Limerick identified and managed patients at risk of malnutrition and dehydration.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) published reports yesterday on unannounced inspections made last August in Tallaght Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, and University Hospital Limerick.

Inspectors who visited the two Dublin hospitals found that patients were only screened for malnutrition on admission to some of the wards and that weekly rescreening of patients was not always carried out.