Specialist Dietitian

Job summary
This vacancy is for a Specialist Dietitian, maternity leave cover. The post is based at the Bristol Royal Infirmary alongside other Dietitians and Dietetic Support Workers delivering high quality nutritional care. The role will focus on acute dietetic care within our medical pathways.

You will require to demonstrate core skills in oral and enteral nutrition support along with behaviour change strategies.

This role also supports our student training lead in planning and facilitating our student training programme.

Work will be augmented with wider service development, education and student training.

All members of the team work one Bank Holiday a year.

Main duties of the job
The post will provide expert nutritional care across a range of pathways, notably medicine.

The role works closely with a wide range of professionals within the MDT.

• Ensure effective communication at all levels of health care professionals regarding the nutritional care of individual patients.
• Impart information to patients in situations which could be distressing or emotional for the patient, therefore require use of holistic skills.
• Use negotiation skills to motivate and negotiate dietary change, this will require using a variety of evaluation strategies and adapting communication techniques if necessary.
• Educate, support and direct patients by advising on therapeutic dietary regimens which may involve significant and continuous lifestyle changes.
• Translate nutritional concepts into practical everyday terms for patients, staff and professional colleagues of all levels.
• As a key member of the multi-professional team, provide expert dietetic advice at case conferences, care and discharge planning meetings.
• Liaise with partners including clinical MDTs, pharmacy, catering and the community to ensure continuity of care across service providers.

About us
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.

With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Details
Date posted: 26 October 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum pro rata
Contract: Secondment
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: 387-D&T4378-JJ

Closing date: 05 November 2026

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential

• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Degree/Post Graduate qualification in nutrition or dietetics
• Clinical Supervisory Skills (Basic)

Desirable

• BDA Membership
• PEN Group Clinical Update Course and/or Behaviour Change Course

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Proven experience in: Enteral Nutrition Support, Chronic Disease Management, Nutrition support in acute illness
• Working as part of a multi-professional Team
• Student Training
• Teaching Experience

Desirable

• Audit Experience
• Experience of supervision of junior staff
• Experience of writing protocols and guidelines
• Experience of working in the community
• Experience of Home Enteral Nutrition

Skills and abilities
Essential

• Good communication skills at all levels: Oral, Written, Interpersonal
• Good organisational skills
• Teaching/presentation skills in a variety of settings and to professional groups/grades
• Computer skills and use of dietary analysis programmes
• Advanced clinical reasoning
• Behaviour and motivational interviewing skills
• Able to maintain effective working relationships across different professions
• Insight and sensitivity
• Team player and able to maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to process highly complex information or situations
• Ability to work under own initiative
• Ability to deal with challenging behaviours of patients, carers and students
• Time Management

Desirable

• Active/committee member of BDA Specialist Interest Group
• Access to transport in order to deliver community working

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here: Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, BS2 8HW, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/

For questions about the job, contact:
Clinical Lead: Tom Lander
tom.lander1@nhs.net
01173427360

Privacy notice: Bristol NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice.