Hosted by Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition Specialist Group
Join the PENG committee for an exciting face-to-face study day bringing together dietitians and healthcare professionals working within nutrition support.
This interactive event will explore current developments in blended diets, enteral nutrition, physical activity, and service innovation. Through a combination of expert presentations, practical discussions, and networking opportunities, delegates will gain valuable insights to support clinical practice and service development.
Speakers
- Sarah Durnan, Clinical Academic Dietitian Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust)
- Gareth Birkett, founder of Wilbo’s Blends presenting a Home Blended Diet Demonstration
More about the session - Demonstration of planning and preparing a blended diet with hands on opportunity to administer through a Gastrostomy button device.
More about Gareth - Gareth Birkett, founder of Wilbo’s Blends, launched the company to make real-food blended meals accessible for people who rely on tube feeding, inspired by his son’s blended diet journey. His mission is to transform enteral nutrition by delivering convenience, choice, and improved wellbeing for patients and families worldwide.
- Dan Griffiths, Specialist Dietitian - Intestinal Failure & Nutrition Support presenting on Protein dose, quality and timing for Muscle Protein Synthesis in enteral nutrition
More about the session - This talk aims to look at how research into muscle protein synthesis can inform practical protein prescribing in enteral nutrition. Rather than aiming for ‘grams per day’, the talk will focus on how protein dose, quality, timing, delivery pattern and mobilisation influence the anabolic response. Key concepts include muscle protein synthesis, muscle protein breakdown and the muscle-full hypothesis
More about Dan - Dan is a Specialist Dietitian at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in intestinal failure, home parenteral nutrition (HPN), gastroenterology and colorectal surgery. He is also a post-graduate research student at the University of Birmingham, exploring physical activity levels in patients HPN and its relationship to frailty, intravenous protein, and quality of life.
- Duncan Grant, Senior Exercise Physiologist prensenting on The importance of Resistance Training int he Sarcopenic patient
More about the session - This talk aims to look at how research into muscle protein synthesis can inform practical protein prescribing in enteral nutrition. Rather than aiming for ‘grams per day’, the talk will focus on how protein dose, quality, timing, delivery pattern and mobilisation influence the anabolic response. Key concepts include muscle protein synthesis, muscle protein breakdown and the muscle-full hypothesis will be discussed in clinically accessible terms. Protein source and quality will also be discussed, with an emphasis on the practical implications. The session will aim to translate the physiology of muscle into real-world decisions for enteral feeding across various clinical inpatient and outpatient settings. In practice, should we thinking less about simply whether patients receive enough protein, but more about whether we can design enteral feeding regimens that create a meaningful anabolic signal that supports muscle maintenance, recovery and function
More about Duncan - Duncan is a Senior Exercise Physiologist with 14 years of clinical experience across Australia and the United Kingdom. Specialising in oncology prehabilitation and chronic disease management, Duncan’s career spans private practice, private hospitals, and the NHS. Throughout his career, Duncan has delivered targeted clinical exercise interventions for a diverse range of complex conditions, including cardiac rehabilitation, post-joint replacement rehabilitation, falls prevention and reconditioning, chronic pain management, and utilising exercise in mental healthcare.
Roundtable Speakers: Case Studies & Practical Insights
- Alisa Kennady
- Helan Beagan
- Linda Cantwell
- Sarah Durnan
Topics will include:
- Emerging developments in blended diets and enteral feeding
- New resources and toolkits to support use of blended diets in clinical practice
- Practical implementation and shared learning from services across the UK
- Nutrition, muscle health and feeding strategies
- Physical activity and exercise considerations for people requiring nutrition support
- Examples of innovative practice, service development and quality improvement projects
The day will provide plenty of opportunity for discussion, collaboration and the sharing of experiences with colleagues from across the nutrition support community.
Study day overview
9:15 - Registration and Refreshments
09:45 – Chair’s Welcome & Introduction
Join us for the Chair’s welcome and an introduction to the day ahead.
10:00 – Morning Sessions
We’ll begin with an introduction to the new Blended Diet Toolkit, followed by interactive round-table discussions. This will be a great opportunity to share experiences, learn from colleagues and explore how blended diets are being implemented across the country.The morning will also include a practical session demonstrating how to prepare and deliver blended diets, bringing the guidance to life and providing plenty of opportunity for discussion.
The morning will also include a practical session demonstrating how to prepare and deliver blended diets, bringing the guidance to life and providing plenty of opportunity for discussion.
13:00–14:00 – Lunch & Networking
Take a break, enjoy lunch and connect with fellow attendees.
14:00 – Afternoon Sessions
The afternoon will explore muscle protein synthesis, exercise and sarcopenia, with a focus on what the evidence means for enteral feeding prescriptions. Expect thought-provoking discussion, practical reflections and opportunities to consider how emerging evidence could influence clinical practice.
15:30 – From Survey to Standards: Developing Competency Frameworks for Dietitians.
The final session will include an update on PENG’s competency frameworks for parenteral and enteral nutrition.
15:45–16:00 – Closing
Final reflections, key takeaways and closing remarks.
Why Attend?
- Hear about the latest developments in blended diets
- Explore practical approaches to implementing the new Blended Diet Toolkit
- Learn from experts working across dietetics, exercise physiology and service development
- Gain ideas to support local service improvement initiatives
- Connect with colleagues and expand your professional network
Whether you work in acute care or community settings, this study day will offer valuable learning and inspiration to take back to your own practice.
Look out for details of The PENG Excellence in Nutrition Support Award for an opportunity to attend for free! If you register and recieve a free place we will credit your registration fee
Cost
- PENG member £40
- BDA member £60
- Non member £80
- PENG student member £30
- BDA student member £30
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