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Written question asked by Siân Berry (Green Party) on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 July 2026. It was answered by Karin Smyth (Labour) on Thursday, 16 July 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.


Meals On Wheels

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients in England in the last five years who have not received a meals on wheels service after leaving hospital, after they have been assessed as needing this service upon discharge, broken down by patients who were a) nourished, and b) malnourished upon discharge.

Answer

The Department does not centrally collect this data.

The Hospital discharge and community support guidance sets out that where a person may require support following discharge, National Health Service trusts should work with local authorities and partners to identify and plan for their ongoing care and support needs. The Hospital discharge and community support guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance/hospital-discharge-and-community-support-guidance#annex-a-discharge-to-assess---operational-process


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
17209
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Meals on wheels
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk