"The number of hospital beds in England taken up by patients being treated for malnutrition has almost trebled over the last 10 years, in what charities say shows the 'genuinely shocking' extent of hunger and poor diet."

Huge rise in hospital beds in England taken up by people with malnutrition

Critics blame three-fold rise on poverty, cutbacks to meals on wheels services for the elderly and inadequate social care

"The number of hospital beds in England taken up by patients being treated for malnutrition has almost trebled over the last 10 years, in what charities say shows the “genuinely shocking” extent of hunger and poor diet.

Official figures reveal that people with malnutrition accounted for 184,528 hospital bed days last year, a huge rise on 65,048 in 2006-07. The sharp increase is adding to the pressures on hospitals, which are already struggling with record levels of overcrowding."