Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will introduce guidance or requirements to ensure that patients’ religious or philosophical dietary preferences, including vegetarian and vegan diets, are prominently flagged in medical records to ensure equitable treatment of vulnerable individuals in health and care settings.

There is no intention to introduce guidance or requirements in addition to the existing Regulation 14 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, or the Care Quality Commission guidance.

The regulation requires care providers to ensure the nutritional needs of service users are met, which includes meeting any reasonable requirements arising from the service user’s preferences or their religious or cultural background.

The guidance states that people's religious and cultural needs must be identified in their nutrition and hydration assessment, and that when a person has specific dietary requirements relating to moral or ethical beliefs, these must be fully considered and met.