NL 09 Volume 3 Issue 2 Autumn 2003

Older People's Food Campaign

How can the 'Meals on Wheels' service, lunch clubs, fresh fruit access, and community transport be developed to support these sadly neglected aspects of community care, with the contribution they make to reducing NHS delayed transfers of care? These services are provided, in the main, by the local authorities. You may wish to lobby your local councillor, before the 2004 local elections. WFA are making a simple Older Person's food needs questionnaire available to enable older people's organisations, and others, to present evidence to local authorities and Local Health Boards.

To support, or to become involved, our second annual survey can be found at pages 3 and 4, or at our web site. Pass this onto older friends and relatives.
Please return, if possible, by early December 2003. Information will be collated, analysed, and sent to local Health Boards, local authorities, and Assembly Health, Social Care and Well-Being planners, to support local action. The information will also be presented to the next Assembly National Health and Well Being Council meeting, on March 25th 2004, when it considers public participation. Contact details at page 4.

Positive Preventive Action

At last we welcome local planning guidance on food aspects of Health, Social Care, and Well Being Strategies, issued in September 2003. This provides the first local framework for many issues championed by WFA, over the past five years. What positive, preventive action is missing?

Culture of citizenship required

Public participation is vital if we are to realise our objectives of improved health. This needs to be nurtured and supported. That is why we seek the views of people through the third National Youth Food Assembly, the Older People's Food Campaign, and the proposed Healthcare Policy Forum.

Improve school meals

Despite large public subsidies, nutrient standards in school meals are poor. The nutritional quality of purchased processed food continues to decline, and increasing numbers of pupils suffer from obesity, and diabetes. As in Scotland, the Assembly should establish an Expert Panel to prepare a National School Meals Action Plan, to support local action.

Healthy food procurement policies

Healthy catering guidelines (should be) written into catering contracts'. The key issue is a holistic 'supply side' approach. Once poor, cheap processed food arrives in the local kitchen, options are very limited, even to the best caterer. Local public procurement is important, but will this alone provide better meals? Improved nutritional standards should be specified.

Provide Skills for Health

WFA has long campaigned for practical cookery lessons, as part of the national curriculum, as an elementary aspect of improving public health. When will a simple amendment to the relevant national curriculum order take place? When will teacher training courses train food teachers? The number of overweight children has doubled over the past 10 years. Many health experts attribute this to lack of nutrition and practical cookery skills.

Third National Youth Food Assembly

Do we seek the views of young people? Often we don't. It is becoming clear to us that young people need to express their views directly to those who supply, or influence the food they eat. The theme of our third Assembly, in December 2003, endeavour's to make this a reality with the theme of 'Imagine - good food and health'. Thirty pupil's from ten schools will meet with thirty decision-makers, including government, caterers, and retailers, to put questions of relevance to them. This should make for an interesting meeting for all concerned. A report to be agreed with pupils will be sent to all participants. (See our March 2004 edition). For further information: J Sullivan, 3 Roberts Close, Rogerstone, Newport NP10 0BA (01633) 663114/0845 3304926, or email welshfoodalliance

Before and after Hospital Care

Nutritional needs of prospective patients and those discharged is a serious cost to the NHS, yet this continues to be ignored. Increasing numbers of patients admitted to hospital are likely to get infections and have to stay longer at higher cost, because they are malnourished. Despite the serious consequences, both for the patient and the NHS, malnutrition is often not spotted when a patient is admitted to hospital, and not mentioned in medical records. Without evidence, public policy action to support 'Meals on Wheels', lunch clubs, fresh fruit access, and community transport to assist with shopping, is not taken. We need evidence based policies to bring improvement in this vital area.

Cheap meat and poultry

Government's 'Swann Report' (1969) recommended that no agent used in human medicine should be used for growth promotion in animals. Half the antibiotics dispensed in Britain every year are used in our food amounting to 463 tonnes used on farm animals. What amount can be found within cheap sausages, burgers, chicken dishes, or in school and hospital food? Who is responsible for action? Can Welsh public sector procurement reverse this trend? Co-ordinated action is required by the Education Minister - who is responsible for regulating school meal standards, NHS Trusts, councillors, head teachers, the Chief Medical Officer, the Welsh Development Agency, the Assembly Sustainable Development Scheme, UK and European government.

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Welsh Food Alliance / Cynghrair Bwyd Cymru