Specialist Dietitian

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our department to expand our Oncology Team. This post is a 12 month fixed term post where you will work alongside the Cancer Prehab Team at Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust for part of the week which is a pilot service, set up in January 2024 to deliver a Prehabilitation Pathway to those with newly diagnosed Gynae, Bowel, Breast, Lung & Upper GI Cancers, planned for active treatment.
The job will involve working within the Prehab Team for 3 days a week, providing a specialist dietetic oncology service via face to face clinics, telephone consultations, group education & service development. You will work closely with the members of the Prehab Team which include a Physio Lead, 2 Health Coaches & a Clinical Nurse Specialist. This role is Trustwide with face to face clinics at North Tyneside General Hospital & Wansbeck General Hospital. For the rest of the week, you will fulfil duties within the wider Oncology Service, seeing a variety of tumour groups across acute & community sites in addition to acute general wards.
This post would be appropriate for those currently working in a Band 5 position who are ready for a Specialist Band 6 post and for current Band 6 Dietitians with an interest in developing their career specialising in Oncology.
**The post requires the successful applicant**:
To act as a Specialist Oncology Dietitian within a multi-agency team
To provide a quality Nutrition and Dietetic Service in Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust.
To work as part of multidisciplinary teams which could include Medical Staff, Specialist Nurses, Ward Staff, Speech Therapy & Dietitians from other Trusts.
To link in with Acute & Community Oncology Teams.
To be an active member of the team and play a vital role in patient service delivery, education and resource development.
To role model compassionate and inclusive leadership in order to shape the creation of a collective leadership culture within the trust. This means demonstrating a consistent leadership style which:
engages, enables
uses coaching to promote ownership of learning and quality improvement
facilitates team working and collaboration within teams / departments and across organisational boundaries.
We participate in student training & actively provide B and C placements for Leeds Beckett University students, A, B & C placements for Newcastle University & Teesside University. All of our staff are encouraged to take part in student training with support provided to help you in this role.
The post holder will be responsible for a diverse caseload of Oncology patients within North Tyneside & Northumberland in a variety of settings including face to face and telephone outpatient clinics, Oncology Day Units & Palliative Care Units & occasionally within patient’s own homes if needed. You will also be responsible for an acute caseload within North Tyneside General Hospital, providing care in a variety of speciality wards.
You must be able to work both autonomously and as part of a team within the wider MDT. It is also expected you will contribute to student training and act as a support for our Band 5 Dietitians, Apprentice Dietitians, DAP’s, DA’s. We encourage participation in regular CPD activities and we hold regular departmental and team meetings including a monthly journal club allowing the opportunity to learn from training, case discussions and peer support.
**The post holder is expected to**:
Work closely within the Prehab Service & assist with service development
Manage a busy & complex caseload of patients with a variety of Oncological diseases which may include a caseload of Home Enterally Tube Fed patients
Be an active part of the North East Oncology Group
Provide regular cover to Oncology Day Units & Palliative Care Unit if needed
Deliver highly specialised dietetic advice to Oncology patients and their families / carers
Work in a strategic manner and have a positive attitude to caseload & specialist area
Act as a specialist resource for patients, their families and other health professionals
Be able to implement change using advanced counselling and motivational interviewing techniques
Plan and organise education and training sessions for colleagues, student dietitians, other health professionals, and other outside agencies
Advise and formulate policies relating to specialist area of work (Oncology)
Participate in audit & research
Contribute to, develop, monitor and comply with standards and policies for the dietetic department and the Trust