Supporting people who have eating and drinking difficulties

Eating and drinking are essential for maintenance of nutrition and hydration, but are also important for pleasure and social interactions. The ability to eat and drink hinges on a complex and coordinated system, resulting in significant potential for things to go wrong. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published updated guidance on how to support people who have eating and drinking difficulties, particularly towards the end of life. Decisions about nutrition and hydration and when to start, continue or stop treatment are some of the most challenging to make in medical practice. The newly updated guidance aims to support healthcare professionals to work together with patients, their families and carers to make decisions around nutrition and hydration that are in the best interests of the patient. It covers the factors affecting our ability to eat and drink, strategies to support oral nutrition and hydration, techniques of clinically-assisted nutrition and hydration, and the legal and ethical framework to guide decisions about giving and withholding treatment, emphasising the two key concepts of capacity and best interests. This article aims to provide an executive summary of the guidance.

Automated summary

Eating and drinking are crucial not only for nutrition and hydration, but also for pleasure and social interaction. The RCP has published updated guidance offering support to individuals with eating and drinking difficulties, particularly towards end of life. Decisions about nutrition and hydration are among the most challenging in medical practice, and the updated guidance aims to assist healthcare professionals in making decisions in the best interests of patients.