St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
About the Role:
A dynamic and enthusiastic Dietitian with NHS experience, ideally in UGI cancer, is needed to join a friendly team on a fixed-term basis to cover maternity leave. The role focuses on providing nutritional care for patients with UGI cancers (oesophageal, gastric, and HPB), and developing dietetic pathways, including palliative care. You will also play a crucial role in assessing, monitoring, and measuring outcomes within this expanding service.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support the provision of nutritional care to UGI cancer patients.
- Develop dietetic pathways, including for palliative care patients.
- Establish and maintain systems for assessing, monitoring, and measuring nutritional outcomes.
- Work closely with UGI Cancer Nurse Specialists and other multi-disciplinary teams.
- Deliver a high standard of evidence-based care.
- Supervise Dietetic Assistants, Band 5 and 6 Dietitians, and students.
- Participate in the discharge planning process.
- Work flexibly across sites to meet service demands.
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of a broad range of conditions with proven clinical skills or a keen interest in training in this area.
- Report on nutritional outcomes.
- Provide advanced clinical advice, support and training to patients, families, and colleagues.
- Maintain accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date documentation.
- Collect data and statistics for service review.
- Develop and maintain high-level clinical skills.
- Deliver relevant training to patients, families, and colleagues.
- Attend conferences and join special interest groups.
- Benchmark current service delivery against local and national standards.
- Translate local and national guidelines to staff.
- Measure and evaluate own work and practices through evidence-based projects, audit, research, and outcome measures.
- Network with colleagues to learn and share best practice.
- Interpret and implement quality assurance practices.
- Deputise for senior staff in leading specific teams.
- Be professionally accountable for all aspects of patient care.
- Communicate complex information effectively to other agencies.
- Involve patients and families in treatment decisions.
- Assess capacity, gain valid informed consent, and work within a legal framework.
- Undertake complex clinical assessments.
- Determine clinical diagnoses and make high-level decisions regarding treatment plans.
- Implement complex care/ interventions.
- Evaluate complex care/ interventions based on best practice.
Skills and Expertise:
- NHS experience, ideally in UGI cancer.
- Comprehensive clinical dietetic knowledge.
- Recent clinical experience in complex enteral feeding, modified diets, fluids, and managing effects of anti-cancer treatments.
- Significant postgraduate experience as a Band 6/7 Dietitian.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong teamworking skills.
- Experience with multi-disciplinary team working.
- Enthusiasm for service improvement and clinical audit.
- Knowledge of national and local standards.
- Confident in assessment and decision-making.
- Flexible and adaptable approach.
- High level physical skills for patient assessment and treatment.
- Proficiency with information technology.
- Teaching experience (ideally).
- Problem-solving skills.
Why Join Us:
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is an outstanding organisation, committed to providing five-star patient care. With a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff, the Trust offers excellent staff supervision and appraisal systems for professional development. Youll be part of a team committed to service innovation and improvement, with opportunities to contribute to the training of student dietitians, leading to a supportive and collaborative environment.