Due to malnutrition, around 50,000 patients are dying each year in NHS hospital, according to a report commissioned by Ministers. The number of deaths is more than predictions. Last May, because of malnutrition, 239 patients had died in hospitals in England.

"We believe these statistics can be very misleading. We know malnutrition predisposes to disease, it delays recovery from illness and it increases mortality. It follows that the effect of malnutrition on mortality rates is substantially greater than the number reported to have died because of malnutrition", according to the Nutrition Action Plan Delivery Board, which was commissioned by the Government to supervise measures to recover nutrition in the NHS.

According to the report, 47,800 people died in hospital with malnutrition in 2007. Campaigners said that there is a lack of help with eating in hospitals.

"About half the patients and their families who gave oral evidence provided accounts of issues with obtaining appropriate food and drink", according to the independent inquiry report published into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.