Specialist Dietitian

Job summary
We are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated dietitian to join our acute adult dietetic team as a Band 6 Dietitian.

The Nutrition and Dietetics Department at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust comprises four teams based at Lewisham Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Lewisham CommunityHome Enteral Nutrition and SEND teams. Our friendly team consists of over 50 professionals, including dietitians, dietetic assistants, nutrition specialist nurses, and administrators. This position provides an ideal environment to expand your clinical knowledge and develop new skills.

We are looking for a team player with excellent communication skills who is flexible, supportive, and committed to delivering high-quality patient care.

In this post, you will have the opportunity to provide a proactive and coordinated nutrition and dietetic service for adult patients. The post allows you to gain experience in acute medical (with a focus on gastroenterology, oncology and elderly care) and a surgical ward (women's health/oncology and parenteral nutrition ) and cover a specialist gastroenterolgy and oncology dietetic clinic.

You will also contribute to shaping the dietitian's role within the multi-professional team, working closely with Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, and Physiotherapists. As well as active involvement in service evaluation and developement.

Main duties of the job

• Provide effective highly specialist nutritional and dietetic advice to medical, health care professionals and other agencies.
• Manage own highly specialist caseload
• Assess and monitor patients, offering therapeutic dietary advice and education, to a range of patients within specialist area.
• Contribute to the nutrition and dietetic service as a whole through participation in service development.
• Contribute to student training

About us
Please refer to the Applicant Guide via the link below for key information:- Applying to LGT Guide - Key Information for Applicants

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

1. Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
2. Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
3. Improving the experience of staff with disability
4. Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
5. Making equalities mainstream

Details
Date posted
05 August 2026

Pay scheme
Agenda for change

Band
Band 6

Salary
£39,959 to £48,117 a year
per annum plus HCAS

Contract
Fixed term

Duration
1 years

Working pattern
Full-time

Reference number
197-AO8549

Job locations
University Hospital Lewisham
Lewisham High Street
Lewisham
SE13 6LH
United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Clinical responsibilities:
Act as an independent highly specialist practitioner and be professionally and legally accountable and responsible for all aspects of own work including a clinical caseload.

Work independently to undertake nutritional assessments and calculate nutritional requirements of patients with complex conditions using anthropometry and taking into account medical, social and cultural factors.

Communicate evidence based nutritional and dietary advice in an understandable form.

Use highly developed communication and counselling skills such as reflective listening, open questioning, empathy, explanation and reassurance to communicate dietary intervention to patients and carers.

Gain valid consent to treatment and negotiate change with patients by breaking down barriers, using motivational skills, to enable them to achieve dietary targets set.

Devise, monitor and review nutritional care plans against outcome measures taking into account social, psychological, cognitive, behavioural and cultural needs, as well as taking into account the needs of the carer and adjust care plan to facilitate achievement of goals.

Undertake designated highly specialist outpatient clinics.

Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings.

Ensure safe and timely transfer of patients by liaising with appropriate internal and external agencies.

Provide dietetic cover to other areas during periods of annual leave/sick leave.

Accurately record all assessment and interventions in medical notes in line with Trust policy.

Communicate with other agencies about patient care after discharge, by liaising with other Health Professionals about the nutritional care and continued diet therapy within the community

Managerial and administration:
Decide daily on priorities for own work area balancing patient related and professional demands.

Act as a source of highly specialised information and advice on current best practice for colleagues and other health care professionals.

Lead specialist working parties and meetings.

Identified and complete projects and meet deadlines.

Record patient activity data.

Share the responsibility for maintaining departmental resource files.

Regularly assist in the supervision of junior staff.

Education and training:
Contribute to the training of pre-registration dietetic students on clinical placement by:

- participating in the development and revision of the training programme
- acting as a role model, leading clinical supervision within designated specialist area
- undertaking, tutorials, feedback and assessment

Plan, deliver and evaluate formal and informal training to other health care professionals, staff and patients including internal and external study days.

Develop educational resources, which are evidence based and acceptable to patients and carers.

Clinical governance:
Work within the Health & Care Professions Councils Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency.

Attend trust induction training and mandatory training programmes.

Identify personal training needs through participation in regular continuous professional development activities and individual performance review.

Further develop skills in clinical area by attending further training, specialist courses and conferences and specialist interest group meetings

Maintain a personal portfolio as evidence of competence to practice.

Be involved in audit and evaluation of practice using research methodology.

Participate in the development of departmental policies, guidelines, standards and protocols.

Lead evidence based treatment policies within defined area.

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• BSc Nutrition & Dietetics or BSc in relevant science subject plus post-graduate diploma Nutrition & Dietetics.
• HCPC registration.
• Member of special interest group and /or experience of clinical specialty.
• At least 1 year as a Band 5

Desirable

• Accredited BDA course at masters level, or equivalent, in specialist area.
• Clinical supervisory skills training.
• Member of the British Dietetic Association
• >2 years as a Band 5

Skills and Abilities
Essential

• Highly developed oral communication skills with people from a wide variety of backgrounds.
• Competent to convey highly complex information in an understandable way.
• Competent to use specialist equipment for anthropometric measurements e.g. skinfold calipers
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Excellent written communication skills. Keyboard skills (word-processing, internet, data inputting, dietary analysis).
• Evidence of time management skills.
• Commitment to engage in CPD and appraisal system.

Desirable

• NHS hospital experience

Experience
Essential

• Experience of dietary management within defined specialist area.
• Experience of pre-registration dietetic student training.
• Attainment of the HCPC's Standards of conduct, performance and ethics and Standards of proficiency.
• Evidence of clinical governance

Desirable

• NHS hospital experience

Knowledge
Essential

• Specialist knowledge of nutrition and dietetics.

Desirable

• FODMAP trained
• Experience of managing patients on parenteral nutrition

Other
Essential

• Able to reflect and appraise own performance and that of others.
• Able to recognise own limitations and that of others
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Able to provide leadership especially within clinical speciality.
• Flexible and adaptable in different situations.
• Self motivated and to work independently.
• Caring and sensitive to the needs of patients, staff and colleagues
• Smart, professional appearance.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

Address
University Hospital Lewisham
Lewisham High Street
Lewisham
SE13 6LH
United Kingdom

Employer's website
https://www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Deputy Head of Nutrition and Dietetics
Jennifer Robison
jennifer.robison@nhs.net
02083333314

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