Hi, I’m Mandy Davies, a Consultant Allied Health Professional for Nutrition and Hydration at ELHT, and Net Zero Lead for Nutrition and Hydration across One LSC. I’ve been at ELHT for around 10 months and loving it.
I’m going to share a potted history about why nutrition is important to me, a piece about nutrition and hydration at ELHT and briefly explore the ‘power of food’.
24 years ago, my first son was born at 27 weeks, weighing in at 1.15kg.
It became apparent very early on that nutrition for him was paramount, not only for his development, but for his survival. My milk was like liquid gold, and we celebrated every gram of body weight he gained.
We brought Sam home when he was 12 weeks old, almost tripling his body weight to 3kg. I became fascinated by nutrition and the impact it had on Sam.
When he was two years old (which is when a child is roughly half their adult height, by the way) I left my career in sales and marketing to retrain as a dietitian.
I pursued a clinical career path predominantly in paediatrics and neonatal nutrition, before moving into a digital role.
Four years ago, I returned to industry to head up nutrition for a contract caterer. The company catered for the military, feeding our British Army officers at Sandhurst. Guess who was there? Yes, Sam. I managed to feed my son from the day he was born to the day he passed out at Sandhurst. That’s how important nutrition is to me. It’s a life saver in so many ways.
So, let’s explore a little about nutrition and hydration at ELHT. Every healthcare organisation has a responsibility to provide the highest level of care possible for their patients, staff and visitors. This includes the quality, nutritional value and the sustainable aspects of the food and drink that is served, as well as the overall experience and environment in which it is eaten.
Around 190 standards have been published over the last 12 years for nutrition and hydration in healthcare. Many are monitored by external organisations like our regulator, the Care Quality Commission, or internally through programmes such as the Nursing Assessment Performance Framework (NPAF).
The vision is ambitious - to improve patient food and drink, improve retail, colleague and visitor food and drink, and finally to improve sustainable procurement and reduce food waste.
In practice this is wide ranging and can mean screening patients to identify malnourishment or risk of malnourishment; ensuring all sugar sweetened beverages are not more than 330ml or implementing a digital patient meal ordering solution – and everything in between.
My job is to work with teams across the Trust and One LSC to make sure we meet our responsibilities for nutrition, hydration and sustainability for patients, visitors and staff. As you can imagine, the breadth of topics and projects is vast, which I thoroughly enjoy as a ‘curious extrovert’.
It’s not just about the standards though; food and water are basic physiological needs. They’re fundamental to sustain life and good health. Remember Sam!
Our patients are often recovering from surgery, managing a chronic illness, or healing from injury – their body is in a state of repair and requires the right fuel. As Hippocrates said, ‘let food be they medicine’ (or medicine becomes thy food).
At ELHT we offer five menu choices and serve over 3,000 meals a day. Every recipe, on every menu is nutritionally analysed to provide the right energy and nutrients for our patients, meeting the nutrition standards laid out in The Nutrition and Hydration Digest.
According to The British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) around 30% of patients coming into hospital are already at risk of malnutrition and 70% weigh less on discharge.
Consequences of malnutrition include longer stays, more health complications and more support needed on discharge, with more GP visits and repeated admissions. We need to help break the cycle.
Understanding the ‘power of food’ is fundamental. It’s more than just a source of energy—it is one of the strongest tools we have for maintaining and improving our health. Every bite we take has the potential to heal, protect, and strengthen our bodies, as well as support our mental well-being.
For centuries, civilisations around the world have used food to treat and prevent illnesses. From ancient remedies like turmeric for inflammation to garlic for immunity, the idea that food is medicine is deeply rooted in history.
Modern science has validated many of these traditions, showing how nutrient-rich diets can reduce the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and even certain cancers.
So, the next time you sit down for a meal, or offer food to our patients, take a moment to appreciate its impact and its potential. Food is more than fuel—it has the power to bring us together, to heal, and to transform.
Food is one of the most accessible and effective tools we have for enhancing health.
We’re fortunate at ELHT to have a fantastic team of dietitians. If you want to know more about nutrition, please do not be afraid to ‘ask a dietitian’.
We are the only state registered healthcare professionals that assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritional problems at an individual and wider public health level.
Never underestimate the ‘power of food’ for yourself, your families, and friends, and of course our patients.
Nutrition and hydration - the unsung heroes of healthcare!
#getnourished