Nhs fortasip ensures

[Catatedog]

Anyone had nutritional supplements on the NHS?

I
had a private bowel resection after an injury. The dietician has advised fortasip compact protein along with food advice. My appetite is really poor and have lost weight. My GP practice is saying no need to prescribe

wondering if anything else can make myself or ways to argue i need from GP.

Anyone had nutritional supplements on the NHS?

I
had a private bowel resection after an injury. The dietician has advised fortasip compact protein along with food advice. My appetite is really poor and have lost weight. My GP practice is saying no need to prescribe

wondering if anything else can make myself or ways to argue i need from GP.

I had a really simmilar experience to your son @turkeyboots Took one sip of strawberry and felt shakie and weird. I thought it was a flavour thing so asked to stir some jam through as was threatened with TPN if didnt get three a day down and they would not swop the flavour. They added marmalaid, which wasnt my plan and said to use a straw. I did this and then vomitted for two hours with out iv meds stopping it. Wonder if there isan odd ingredient in the flavouring as was very odd.

They don't want to prescribe them because they're expensive. They want you to buy them yourself. But if you're struggling to take in enough calories, even the juices are great (and I assume the shakes more so if you can tolerate them) and you should have them one way or another.

Have you tried build up? I know its not the same but might help until you can get it sorted with the gp. I had it when i wasnt eating with glandular fever and they taste nice, not sure about sweeteners though?
Also do you have a consultant? It might be worth getting them to write a letter to the gp to they might be more likely to listen.

Thanks @QuestionableMouse I am not sure ifood would be suitable for me. I have been advised to stick to a low fiber diet to allow the bowel to heal and reduce the risk of obstructions. I am only allowed up to two pautions of mashed root veg, tined or compot for fruit or a small banana or half an avicardo it looks like these have fiber and sweeteners.

Agree with pp, they are foul. Had severe hg with both pregnancies and became significantly malnourished.
Agree also re foods with real butter, cream etc!

There will be prescribing guidelines that the GP has to follow. Have you seen an NHS dietician? GP may listen to their advice.

A quick Google gave me this - Fortisip online

https://www.nutridrinks.co.uk/brands/nutricia-fortisip-liquid

Ensure online

https://www.nutridrinks.co.uk/shop-by-category/adult-nutrition/ensure-plus-milkshake

That site seemed to have a lot of different brands as well, so if you could find one that worked for you then it’s probably available other places as well, possible cheaper

The GP won't prescribed because you don't meet the criteria.

You can order them on amazon if you really want them?

We only prescribe on dietician advice, so I'd ask for a dietician referral and buy them until then.

I haven’t seen an NhS dietician but would be happy to if I could get referred

Is there a place I can find prescribing guidance. It will obviously get expensive to buy these and would not want to if could get them on prescription as already having to buy VSL3 probiotic at £50 a month to control things and then foods like adding milk powder, extra protein, protein yogurts etc prove much more expensive compared to say oats seeds and fruit for breakfast, lental soup with a bread roll and yogurt or bean dips and crackers and vegg and then a family dinner eg shepherds pie vegg and say steewed fruit and icecream.

I had some on prescription as I was having difficulty swallowing. They were recommended by a dietician.

I used them to make shakes in the blender, added frozen or fresh fruit, yoghurt and bananas,

Hi, I am prescribed Ensure Compact in vanilla flavour. Lovely and creamy and similar to a milkshake consistency.

I'd say if your GP has rejected the dietitian's advice, then ask to see the GP so that you can get the advice that you need from them. I'd keep a food and weight diary if you haven't already and take it along.

Or the bottled Huel drinks, maybe? My elderly DM likes them and they’re helping a lot with keeping her nutrient levels up now her diet is very restricted for various reasons.

It may vary from region to region.

You can ask the practice manager to send it to you? Or your local ICB (integrated care system) might be an to help.

There maybe some guidance on your local hospital website?

@masterofone do you happen to know what the criteria are? The dietician was quite convinced I would get these as part of the reason I was rehospitilised 6 weeks after surgery was D&v and malnutrician.

I dont particularly want to pay £6 a day for synthetic suppliments so was looking for alternatives that can make myself or other approaches I can use.

thanks @masterofoneI will take a look for the guidance. I will try and speak to someone at the GP’s. I wonder if they haven’t propperly coded the resection and the short bowell syndrome diagnosis. They have also dennied bial acid sequestrants even though a trial has improved symptoms.

It's a real possibility.

I cant post links, but if you Google "prescribing ensure" you can get a sense of what the criteria may be.

Ask for a referral for NHS dietician - get the ball rolling as there might be a wait

Based on the information you have given, you have a MUST score of one. It needs to be a three to get an oral nutritional supplement prescribed. The NHS recommends a food first approach, and little and often. Homemade milky drinks are fine. Google nourishing drink recipes. Supplements are exactly that, supplements, not meal replacements.

I'm now tube fed permanently but was prescribed loads of supplements. I was told GPs couldn't prescribe them when I once asked to alter a shake. My NHS nutritionist would prescribe anything i wanted to try.

for those who had them prescribed had you had to see a dietitian and if so NHS or private?

I am not sure the GP has rejected it. It looks like its a nurse on my NHS app. They have offered a pharmacist. Call for 17 April but is obviously a long time to wait.

Iam weighing myself once a week, logging food and symptoms. Am getting alsorts of odd bms and bloating etc.

You can also buy ensure powder sachets, to mix with milk. They are significantly cheaper than the bottled drinks.

Hospital dietitians hand the drinks out like candy, because they are heavily subsidised by the manufacturers for hospital use. In the community, NHS has to pay full price. There is a massive problem with over prescribing as well, and the guidelines are being pushed more seriously as a result.

Based on what you have said you are simply not eligible. A nurse can calculate your malnutrition risk, and decline your request based on that. Doesn't need to go through the GP.

@sciencedragon good to know the powders exist these seem much more affordable.

my reading of the criteria is that with proven weight loss and small bowel syndrome they should be prescribed on dietitian advice. The colarectal surgeon has also argued the colitis and adhesions require a month of supplimentation and then an MRI or scopes to see if further surgery is needed I think there is then an element of wanting to ensure good nutrician ahead of this.

If your surgery and dietician are both private then you should be receiving any additional prescriptions for any need from them. Assuming your surgeon is a specialist colorectal surgeon and the dietician knowledgeable in these types of post surgery complications.

NHS guidance is clear that NHS resources shouldn't be utilised to subsidise private healthcare/surgery so you may also be encountering some pushback on this basis.

Really, your surgeon can prescribe supplements, or dietician as pp has said, and as it's for complications post surgery and your recovery has not been straightforward I think expecting the GP to then feel comfortable prescribing something for an area they probably are not that knowledgeable in, have not been part of the process and probably don't really know you is understandingly very tricky and they may be reluctant. GP's don't have to do things just because someone else told them too, they rightly review the request and act appropriately and in accordance with their local guidelines. Some GP's are also working to rule and therefore (rightly) would expect the clinician who has seen and assessed the patient to then prescribe and follow them up.