Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Difficulties

As the ECHO Network transitions into year 2 of their programme, it aims to continue to provide an effective mechanism to support the sector in effectively sharing learning and best practice with a wide range of HSC Staff.  

Work to reduce the risk of death by choking and safeguard people with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties has been identified as a key priority for Health and Social Care by the Department of Health. Dysphagia NI was established in 2018 as a transformation project to focus on sharing and improving best practice in this area. In response to the release of a Safety and Quality Reminder of Best Practice Guidance – Risk of serious harm or death from choking on foods (SQR-SAI-2021-075), the Chief Medical Officer wrote to the HSCB and PHA outlining extreme concern at the preventable deaths and requesting that the HSCB and PHA bring forward an assessment of further regional interventions deemed necessary. One of the recommendations of the subsequent Choking and Learning Review was to establish an ECHO platform to facilitate sharing of learning and best practice.