Specialist Dietitian (XR06)

SpecialistDietitian Band 6 (Pancreatic surgery)

Would you like to advance your career in one of the largest acute teaching hospitals in the UK?

We have an exciting opportunity for a full-time Specialist Dietitian to join our Pancreatic surgical team at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT).

The post holder will be part of the Oncology, Surgical and Artificial Feeding Dietetic team based at Bexley Wing, St James's University Hospital, providing a clinical service to pancreatic surgical patients.

We are looking for a motivated, enthusiastic Dietitian with excellent communication and team working skills, to work as an integral member of the Pancreatic and Surgical MDT.

The post holder will be responsible for providing highly specialist assessment and advice to patients within the pancreatic and general surgical patient pathways.

Experience of enteral feeding and different feeding routes are essential. In addition to clinical ward work, you would be expected to input into appropriate MDT ward rounds, provide nutrition education to patient support groups and nursing staff.

Advert may be closed on 22nd October if high volume of applicants

Expected ShortlistingDate

23/10/2025

Planned InterviewDate

03/11/2025

Main duties of the job The post holder will provide highly specialised dietetic care to Pancreatic surgical patients at a local and regional level. This will include advice to patients, their families and carers and all healthcare staff at local and regional level both within an inpatient and outpatient setting. The post-holder will be involved in the day to day support of our Dietetic assistant as well as inputting into aspects of clinical training for students, dietetic staff and other health care professionals working within surgery. The post-holder will also be actively involved in the development and implementation of guidelines and audit of patient care practices as part of the service quality assurance framework and will be encouraged to participate in dietetic working groups.

For further information please contact Julie Ashton, Clinical Dietetic Manager on 608 email or

Kelly Wilson, Senior Specialist Dietitian (Job-share Pancreatic)

email or Anna Burton Senior Specialist Dietitian (Job-share Pancreatic) email

About us Our Trust values are that we are patient-centred, empowered, collaborative, fair and accountable. If your values match ours, we would love to hear from you. We have a strong focus on investing in the continued professional development of our people to ensure that they can achieve their full potential. We lead the way in providing further training and career development opportunities in every department and at every level of our organisation. We have a culture where people take a real pride in their work, respect each other and all work together to deliver the most exceptional standards of patient care. We have a happy, productive work environment where everyone in every role plays their own important part in our success.

The Nutrition and Dietetic Department provides regular professional development events, and hosts training to A, B and C placement students.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job responsibilities To provide part of a professional Nutrition and Dietetic care service within a Specialist area. This includes advice to in-patients, out-patients, all healthcare staff and participation in the training of student dietitians. Shows initiative in assisting and supporting the senior specialist dietitians and the Clinical Dietetic Manager in the day to day management of the department.

3. JOB DIMENSIONS

The post holder will:

3.1 Manage own case load to a level agreed with supervisor/line manager.

3.2 Be involved in the provision of education and training to healthcare staff, patients, care providers and students.

3.3 Be a key member of the multidisciplinary care team to provide integrated dietetic care.

3.4 Shows initiative in assisting and supporting the senior specialist dietitians and the chief dietitian in the day to day management of the department.

3.5 Deliver training to healthcare staff, dietitians and students.

3.6 Be an active member of the out of hours service.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

5.2 HCPC Registration as a dietitian

5.3 Experience of working within a Dietetic role within a healthcare setting

5.4 Willing to undergo any training as required to enable performance in the job.

5.5 Awareness of current issues in specialised areas of dietetics.

5.6 Able to work within a team, demonstrate initiative, confidence and excellent time management and organisational skills.

5.7 Good written, oral and interpersonal communication skills.

5.8 Good presentation skills in delivering training to large multidisciplinary groups of staff or members of the public (this may involve groups of more than 50 people).

9. CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING

9.1 Ability to perform specialised nutritional assessments, interpret and plan relevant dietetic care programmes for patients with highly complex nutritional needs and multiple medical conditions.

9.2 Advanced knowledge of biochemistry, physiology and pharmacology.

9.3 Understanding of the calculations required in dietetic assessment.

9.4 Ability to correctly interpret complex nutritional impairments, biochemical parameters and fluid balance. This will involve nutritional diagnosis including interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometrics, clinical condition, Social factors and diet histories in patients with specialised and complex nutritional needs.

9.5 Demonstrate advanced knowledge in interpretation of complex clinical information to develop, monitor and complete nutritional care plans in a specialised dietetic areas. This may include the prescription of dietary treatment, prescribable nutritional products and enteral nutrition.

9.6 Responsible for safe discharge planning including the discharges of patients receiving home enteral nutrition.

9.7 Demonstrate the ability to evaluate practice using evidence based practice and critical appraisal.

9.8 Ability to advise and suggest nutrition related medications.

9.9 Knowledge of clinical governance, quality of care and evidence based practice in specialist areas.

9.10 Awareness of national guidance and driving factors in specialist areas.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY 9.1 Clinical and professional

9.1.1 Be an autonomous practitioner, clinically, legally and professionally responsible for own caseload.

9.1.2 Responsible as a clinical practitioner in a specialist dietetic field, for delivering high quality specialist dietetic care. This will involve being guided by departmental standards, professional guidelines, broad occupational policies and procedures.

9.1.3 Collect, analyse and record relevant patient information from clinical and patient sources to develop effective nutritional plans.

9.1.4 Responsible for providing highly specialised dietary advice within an in-patient and out-patient setting, to patients in a distinct specialist area e.g. advice to renal dialysis patients on calcium and phosphate management, oncology patients on enteral feeding.

9.1.5 Communicate the nutrition and dietary treatment of patient to healthcare staff, other professionals and patient carers. This may involve co-ordinating nutritional care with other trusts and centres outside the Trust.

9.1.6 Undertake comprehensive assessments of patients with diverse and complex nutritional issues where investigative and analytical skills are required to formulate accurate treatment plans.

9.1.7 Responsible for providing relevant dietary advice within an in-patient and out-patient setting in verbal and written forms in a format which is understood by patients and carers.

9.1.8 Responsible for developing and maintaining an agreed level of expertise by updating own specialised clinical knowledge and skills through attendance at post-graduate courses, clinical updates and in-service training.

9.1.9 Participate in the appraisal process as an appraisee and develop a strategy for personal and continuous professional development, encompassing a portfolio-based assessment in line with national legislation.

9.1.10 Participate in audit within specialist areas, involving evaluation of research and audit projects to measure clinical effectiveness and promote evidence based practice.

9.1.11 Undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade as requested/ agreed with the line manager.

9.2 Education and training

9.2.1 Devise and implement specialised nutritional care plans for inpatients and outpatients according to current national guidelines and standards, including NSFs. This will involve advising patients, relatives or carers, individually or in a group setting.

9.2.2 Contribute to developing and maintaining agreed levels of expertise of dietetic team members.

9.2 . click apply for full job details