An emergency malnutrition taskforce to prevent harm to children will meet within days amid the accelerating cost of living crisis.
The Scottish Government-run unit will seek to establish ways of identifying families in danger and improving methods in recording how many are at risk.
The working group, being established by a Holyrood Diet and Healthy Weight Team will meet for the first time this month to make recommendations on a framework for the prevention of malnutrition and dehydration.
Chaired by West Lothian Health & Social Care Partnership boss Fiona Huffer, the group will hear how malnutrition has affected thousands of Scottish youngsters. It is feared cases are reaching unprecedented levels.
Maree Todd, the Scottish Minister for Public Health, Women’s Health and Sport ordered the set-up of the working group.
Progress was impacted by the pandemic response but the aim is for the team to meet for the first time by the end of October.
The cost-of-living crisis has intensified hugely, forcing many families to choose between heating homes and eating properly.
It has led to campaigners to demand a long term commitment and the improvement of monitoring systems for malnutrition.
Anti-poverty campaigner Sean Clerkin said all GP surgeries should flag cases of malnutrition, to be fed into a national database.
He said: “It is clear that most children and adults suffering from malnutrition in Scotland first contact primary care, mainly GP surgeries, across Scotland that don’t keep statistics or details of what is happening.
“Therefore the Scottish Government does not know the full extent of malnutrition in Scotland, especially in recent times.
“The Cost of Living Crisis demands that the Scottish Government fix this problem by requiring all practitioners of primary care to record the number and extent of malnutrition.”
He added: “It is appalling we do not know the extent of this problem though we know it is worsening.
“NHS Glasgow and Clyde have revealed that the number of children accessing acute medical facilities due to malnutrition has rapidly increased from 572 to 1,000 from 2020 to 2021. This will be an underestimate.
“This further marks out clearly that inequalities are growing in Scotland and that tackling malnutrition must be given the highest priority by the Scottish Government.
“Right now we cannot even give an accurate count of how many children and adults are starving in our own nation.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde revealed last month that 3895 children were admitted to an acute site for malnutrition between 2018 and 2022.
Figures nearly doubling from 572 to 1000 in 2021 alone - but they are expected to explode in these new cash-strapped times.
NHS Lothian figures showed that 928 children were flagged as requiring dietary support between 2018 and 2022.
While NHS Tayside reported 186 referrals to paediatric dieticians for “faltering growth” over the same period.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The main aim of our 2018 Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan is to make it easier for everyone across Scotland to eat well and have a healthy weight.
“This includes reducing levels of undernutrition.”
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