UK-N/A-2300295 (V2) | September 2025
Authors:
Dr Ione de Brito-Ashurst, RD, PhD
Publish Date:
March 2023 | 6 min
Abstract:
In order to provide high-quality nutritional care, it is recommended to create nutritional care pathways. Standardisation and clear documentation in care pathways provide a mechanism for delivering efficient and effective care, and should include aspects of screening, assessment & diagnosis, intervention, and monitoring & evaluation.
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Explore the creation of a nutrition care pathway for oncology patients.
Identify the importance of malnutrition and muscle screening as a key part of the patient pathway.
Describe the role of key nutrients including protein, beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) and Vitamin D as part of nutritional intervention.
AUTHOR(S) BIO
DR IONE DE BRITO-ASHURST, RD, PHD
Head of Therapies & Rehabilitation, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London
Ione is a dietitian and most of her recent clinical work has been in critical care. This has led to her active research interest in prevention and management of muscle mass decline. However, her research as part of her master’s and PhD has been around renal nutrition. She carried out her master’s research in patients’ renal nutrition education looking at improving phosphate management.
This was followed by a trial in bicarbonate supplementation that was published in an USA journal, won a European prize for significant contribution to the renal field and led to changes in the American and European renal nutrition recommendations.
Ione’s PhD followed this – A dietary salt intervention to reduce blood pressure in the Bangladeshi chronic kidney disease patients. Her work aimed to bridge the gap between the acute and community sector in the renal care of this patient group and to reduce health inequalities.
Ione is currently part of the European Society Parenteral Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN) Life Long Learning Faculty teaching group. She also works with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of NHS England as a specialist advisor. Despite the leadership role, Ione is still passionate about nutrition and critical care and works closely co-supervising Masters and PhDs at Brazilian Universities. Ione won the ‘Florence Nightingale Leadership’ scholarship award in 2016, the only allied health professional in the nursing group.
Ione joined the London Clinical Senate Council in May 2019.
