A NEW breakfast club launched at Newton Abbot Hospital is helping patients prepare and eat the most important meal of the day.

Buttering toast and eating a bowl of cereal is helping patients regain their confidence and prepare to return home.

Nurses and therapists at the community hospital have set up the new breakfast club to encourage and support their patients on Teign Ward to prepare and eat the most important meal of the day as part of their plan to leave hospital. Eating nutritious meals and drinking plenty of water plays a vital role in people’s recovery, and while patients on Teign Ward are not acutely unwell, they still rely on nurses and healthcare assistants to bring them their meals and drinks. Supporting patients to make their own breakfast encourages them to get out of bed, regain their mobility and remain active and socialise with other people to avoid loneliness, particularly those who are staying in private bedrooms. The breakfast bar contains nutritious cereals, fruit, toast and spreads, fruit juices and tea, coffee and water. Ward manager Lucy Brewer said: ‘Spending lots of hours in bed affects people’s mobility, their muscles begin to deteriorate, and their mental health can be affected.

‘Helping people to choose and eat their breakfast in the communal dining room helps them to remain mobile, talk to other people and prepare to return home.'

The breakfast club is running during nutrition and hydration week, which takes place until Sunday March 23 and is one of many events taking place across Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to raise awareness of the important health benefits of eating and drinking well.

Other events include a food tasting session, a food and drink quiz, mocktail making, a fluid challenge encouraging people to drink more water, and tea parties.

Irene McClelland, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s mealtime enhancement lead, said: ‘Good nutrition and hydration plays a vital part in the quality of people’s care and their recovery, and encouraging people to eat in a calm and sociable atmosphere has such a huge benefit to their recovery and health and wellbeing.

‘As well as running our new breakfast club at Newton Abbot Community Hospital, we will be talking to our patients about the long-term health benefits of eating nutritious meals, keeping themselves hydrated and remaining active and, importantly, reminding our people to also take their breaks and to have a drink while at work.’ The breakfast club is run on Tuesdays and Thursdays and complements other breakfast clubs running across Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.