Editors welcome

Welcome to the bumper Winter edition of e-PENlines for 2015, the nights are drawing in, colds just keep on coming but what a few months it has been in the world of nutrition!

So what has happened since the last e-PENlines? You can find out here! This issue of PENlines includes information on the NHS England new Commissioning Guidance 'Commissioning Excellent nutrition and hydration' – and two of the leads from this guidance were interviewed this e-newsletter – see the Elevator Interviews section. November certainly came and went very quickly but, during this month alone, the Patients Association launched their report on malnutrition and discharge, PENG held their successful symposium on research and audit which is summarised under the Features Article, NIHR/BAPEN launched their new report 'The cost of malnutrition in England and potential cost savings from nutritional interventions' with the stark conclusion that it costs more to not treat malnutrition than it does to treat it. PENG also announced the winners of the free PENG Clinical Update place for 2016 in September and you can find out who the lucky winners were in this edition as well as feedback from this year's PENG Award winners. Hot Topics in this issue includes a report from PENG Committee Member, Eileen O'Neill, following her attendance at this year's ESICM and there is also a summary of the key findings from the BSNA PN survey; the usual items of news from the Committee, BAPEN and BDA are all included, as well as useful dates and news hot off the press about some new patient resources from PENG!

If you have taken part in September's or this month's BAPEN Nutrition Screening Week please do get in touch and share your experiences!

Thank you to all who have contributed to this edition of e-PENlines and do please get in touch with any ideas you may have for future editions or sharing of best practice. The latest news, as it’s published, will be posted on our website to keep you up-to-date, so make sure you visit regularly – www.peng.org.uk – and don't forget to take part in the monthly PN and EN focused polls.

On behalf of the PENG Committee, I would like to say a big thank you to our Chair, Anne Holdoway, for her leadership, support and commitment on all PENG activities without whom we would not be able to achieve what we have done. She is an inspiration to us all.

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year,

Best wishes,

Kate Hall, PENlines Editor and PENG Communications Officer