Dietitian for Specialist Surgical Medical Services

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, self -motivated dietitian to join our Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) dietetic team at Royal Liverpool University Hospital (RLUH), the regional centre for HPB cancer surgery in Cheshire and Merseyside.


The HPB dietetic team sits within the surgical dietetic team, with dietitians providing specialist dietetic support for HPB, critical care, nutrition support and upper GI. The post-holder will support the band 7 specialist HPB dietitian in delivering complex dietetic support to the patient group, supported by a band 4 dietetic assistant practitioner for HPB.


As part of a newly developed pathway alongside Cancer Alliance for the management of people with HPB cancers, the post holder will be responsible for supporting the delivery of a regional specialist dietetic service to people with suspected HPB cancers, from initial investigation and throughout their treatment.
The role involves providing inpatient and outpatient services, including assessment, treatment and review of highly complex patients. The postholder will provide specialist dietetic care to surgical candidates and those requiring palliative oncology treatment or best supportive care, through a combination of telephone and face-to-face clinics.


The post-holder will attend weekly MDT meetings and work closely with the wider HPB team, including specialist nurses, support workers and surgeons.


As a regional service there will be extensive collaborative work with other trusts to ensure the seamless management of these patients.


Operational responsibilities include monitoring referrals and activity, prioritising caseload, evaluating activity, and responding to service demands.


The HPB specialist dietitian will contribute to service improvement, training, development of protocols, policies, resources, standards, and audit.


The HPB dietetic team are part of a larger team with regular meetings and opportunity for Continued Professional Development (CPD).


This includes Specialists in Upper GI, Nephrology, Diabetes, Nutrition Support, Gastroenterology and Haematology.


The department has a well-established Practice Supervision programme and is committed to training other Health Care Professionals and student dietitians (P2 and P3 students).
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was created on 1 October 2019 following the merger of two adult acute Trusts, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.


The merger provides an opportunity to reconfigure services in a way that provides the best healthcare services to the city and improves the quality of care and health outcomes that patients experience.


The Trust runs Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.


It serves a core population of around 630,000 people across Merseyside as well as providing a range of highly specialist services to a catchment area of more than two million people in the North West region and beyond.


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Provide dietetic service to in-patients and outpatients treated in the specialism.


For each patient, collect all relevant medical, social, biochemical and pharmacological information required to inform practice.


Inform all relevant health care professionals of main aims and objectives of nutritional care plan by completing relevant documents or writing in patients case sheets.


Monitor progress on the nutritional care plan according to local standards, amending as necessary to ensure improvement in health is achieved.


Establish and maintain effective communication when giving nutrition and dietetic advice to individuals and in groups to ensure technical information is given in a way they can understand.


Keep patient records according to national and local standards.


Where appropriate use counselling skills to assess motivation and overcome barriers to change.


Liaise with contract caterers and other relevant staff to ensure provision of suitable meals and snacks for patients.


Attend ward rounds, case conferences and ward meetings to reinforce role of nutrition in patient care and of dietitian in the M.Liaise with colleagues in primary care, referring patients as necessary, to ensure continuity of care.


Plan and prioritise own caseload using clinical judgement in collaboration with senior colleagues.


Always work in accordance with national and local standards, best practice and clinical guidelines when providing the dietetic service.


Demonstrate commitment to CPD by participating in performance review, according to trust policy, identifying own training needs and actively assisting in creation of your own personal development plan.


Actively contribute to departmental activities such as update meetings, reviews, development of resources, and updating of standards, policies and procedures.


Participate in audits of existing service including specialist area and act on findings to help improve service delivery.


Work in accordance with trust and departmental policies this includes Health & Safety, Caldicott, Personnel and Equality & Diversity.


Undertake mandatory, CPR and any other training requested by the trust.


Work within legislation and trust procedures on risk management.


Identify, assess and determine how best to manage risk in work activities.


Always inform departmental head of any identified risks relating to safety of dietitians, patients or any other hospital visitors.


Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency.


Follow trust policies when working with patients whose first language is not English.


In conjunction with Dietitian take part in development and implementation of multidisciplinary care pathways for own specialist area.


Training & Development


Attend relevant validated training courses appropriate to speciality.


Keep a personal professional portfolio, which will include evidence of reflection, to confirm continuing competence to practice and provide proof of development of own skills and knowledge in renal dietetics.


Actively participate in student training programme by guiding, supporting and providing feedback to students allocated to you.


In conjunction with senior colleagues use the most appropriate modes of presentation to educate other health professionals on dietetic practice, including updating on evidence-based practice.


Assist senior dietitian in identifying training needs of other health professionals, developing, implementing and evaluating programmes to meet those needs.
BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics or post-graduate Diploma.
Introductory level Clinical Supervisory Skills Training.


Broad clinical experience in at least 3 clinical areas, including medical and surgical patients.
Experience and evidence of continuing professional development

Experience of training student dietitians.
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Liverpool Hospital