Referral Pathways
Following MUST screening you will need to implement a patient care plan. The Nutrition Support pathway will support you with care planning depending on the MUST score.
Please see the Community Nutrition Support Pathway
If 1 month of Food First strategies followed by 1 month of first-line oral nutritional supplements fail to meet nutritional goals e.g., stabilise weight / reduce malnutrition score / improve quality of life, then a referral should be made to the Community Nutrition Support Team.
Referrals should be made via the GP and need to include:
- MUST score
- Confirmation that Food First strategies and first-line oral nutritional supplements have been implemented as per the pathway but nutritional goals not achieved
Only appropriate referrals will be accepted for an appointment with the dietitian. Those with insufficient information or which have not clearly stated that they have followed the pathway, will be contacted by the dietetic assistant practitioner. The dietetic assistant practitioner will obtain the necessary information to decide whether the referral is appropriate, and signpost the care home to relevant resources in order to support implementation of the pathway if required.
Please note:
Dietetic follow-ups for care / nursing home residents are not routinely scheduled. Onus is on the care home to implement the pathway and refer as required.
Transfers of care from ABUHB hospitals
An individual may be discharged from hospital with a 28 day or 3 month prescription for oral nutritional supplements. If this was arranged by a dietitian a copy of the GP letter is posted to the care home, highlighting that if further support is required at the end of this period e.g., continuation of supplements longer term to maintain weight or increasing MUST score, the home should contact the Community Nutrition Support Team directly. If support is requested after 3 months since the last dietetic contact, a re-referral via the GP will need to be submitted.
The interactive Referral Pathway helps guide through nutritional management of resident at risk of malnutrition and when to refer to dietitian