Goals: The appropriate nutritional status of hospitalized patients bears a close relationship with the existence of specialized Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics units or departments at health centres. The presence at these units of professionals with specific training to carry out tasks in the sphere of nutrition and dietetics, as is the case of dietitians, implies and evident strengthening of their capacity and operation. The main goal of the present paper to identify the number of Nutrition and Dietetics Units in the leading Spanish hospitals and also the presence of graduates in dietetics or nutrition specialists.
Scope: Spanish hospital installations selected from the national hospital index. RESULTS OF THE TRIAL: It can be inferred that the implementation of the said services is not as complete as might be desired, and the presence of specifically qualified professionals (dietitians or nutritionists) is even lower. In this context, one is struck by the growing number of outsourced catering services at Spanish hospitals and the hiring of dietitians by these private companies, often at the request of the hospital itself.
Conclusions: All of the data obtained show an ever greater importance of dietitians in hospital nutrition, with an uneven geographical distribution and implementation in Spain because of the peculiar policy adopted by the health authorities with regard to the recognition of these professionals. In Spain, these departments continue to be scorned and the role of the dietitian ignored.