Highly Specialist Weight Management Dietitian, Band 7

at  Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Highly Specialist dietitian in obesity management will be working within the Specialist Weight Management Service (SWMS), demonstrating a high level of expertise within the specialist area. You will play a key role in the management of this patient group and will provide highly specialist advice, intervention, education and support to patients, carers and other health professionals. The post holder will be responsible for the nutrition and dietetic management of patients referred into the SWMS.
The post holder will work autonomously, planning their own workload within professional guidelines and policies to manage a caseload of patients with extremely complex needs. They will be responsible for the specialist training of other dietitians’ within weight management and will supervise students.
The Management of patients who have complex medical and emotional needs with high demand for care and interventions.
To undertake the nutritional assessment of patients pre- and post-bariatric surgery to ensure that patients are nutritionally fit for surgery, and do not become malnourished following bariatric surgery.
To initiate the prescription and modification of nutritional supplements and medications based on the patients nutritional status and dietary needs.
To take responsibility for ongoing clinical excellence through evidence-based practice and development of standards, policies and guidelines in conjunction with the trusts standards.
Contributing to service development, audit and evaluation as required
Teaching and training on dietetic aspects of weight as required.
Our friendly, hard-working team share a desire to provide compassionate interventions and the best possible care to a highly stigmatized patient group. We are currently made up of Psychologists, Dietitians, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Consultant Obesity Physician. Based in an acute hospital setting, we also have close links to the Bariatric Surgery Service and are housed within the same building as the large Clinical Health Psychology. GHFT as an organisation is driven, dynamic and forward thinking.
To work autonomously providing expert dietary advice within the SWMS based on clinical evidence for a defined clinical caseload of patients, with a range of clinical conditions and needs, associated with the morbidly obese at an experienced practitioner level for both inpatients and outpatients.
To undertake the nutritional assessment of patients pre- and post-bariatric surgery to ensure that patients are nutritionally fit for surgery, and do not become malnourished following bariatric surgery.
To contribute to the operational and strategic planning for the specialist service within the trust.
Ensure that appropriate internal and external agencies have the necessary information to support the client in meeting their needs.
To initiate the prescription and modification of nutritional supplements and medications based on the patients nutritional status and dietary needs
To assess and supervise the undergraduate and postgraduate training of student dietitians using advanced skills in communication, facilitation, clinical reasoning and reflective practice.
To input activity statistics to a database and keep written records of all in-patient and out-patient contacts in accordance with trust, department and professional standards for record keeping.
Manage and prioritise workload in a flexible manner considering frequent interruptions from phone calls and bleeps.
Contact Information
Sarah Lane (Lead Specialist Weight Management Dietitian)
sarah.lane13@nhs.net
0300 422 6174
Due to hybrid working, please make contact by email in the first instanc

Please refer the Job description for details