The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014

Meeting nutritional and hydration needs

14.—(1) The nutritional and hydration needs of service users must be met.

(2) Paragraph (1) applies where—

(a) care or treatment involves—

(i) the provision of accommodation by the service provider, or

(ii) an overnight stay for the service user on premises used by the service for the purposes of carrying on a regulated activity, or

(b) the meeting of the nutritional or hydration needs of service users is part of the arrangements made for the provision of care or treatment by the service provider.

(3) But paragraph (1) does not apply to the extent that the meeting of such nutritional or hydration needs would—

(a) result in a breach of regulation 11, or

(b) not be in the service user’s best interests.

(4) For the purposes of paragraph (1), “nutritional and hydration needs” means—

(a) receipt by a service user of suitable and nutritious food and hydration which is adequate to sustain life and good health,

(b) receipt by a service user of parenteral nutrition and dietary supplements when prescribed by a health care professional,

(c) the meeting of any reasonable requirements of a service user for food and hydration arising from the service user’s preferences or their religious or cultural background, and

(d) if necessary, support for a service user to eat or drink.

(5) Section 4 of the 2005 Act (best interests) applies for the purposes of determining the best interests of a service user who is 16 or over under this regulation as it applies for the purposes of that Act.