Referral threshold now changed within dietetic services

December 11, 2023

To ensure effective prioritisation and delivery of adult dietetic services to those who most urgently require our intervention, the referral threshold has changed which means:

• We will now accept patient referrals with a MUST score of three or above

Referrals for patients with a feeding tube remain unchanged irrespective of their MUST score/nutritional status – please continue to refer all patients with feeding tubes in place.

The team have linked some resources in place for colleagues to use and implement which are as listed below and should help support your inpatients:

• MUST 0-2 Nutrition care plan
• First line oral nutritional supplement poster 
• MUST on unity step by step guide – presentation 

Please remember the importance of keeping accurate anthropometrical measures (including weight, height and mid-upper arm circumference) with completion of MUST scores on admission and every seven days thereafter to identify patients who are deteriorating from a nutritional perspective and for who more intensive support may be required.

If you are unsure if your patient meets the referral criteria for dietetic referral, please call ext. 4486.