PCN Dietitian

Primary Care Dietitians Ltd; Doncaster; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Primary Care Dietitians is seeking a PCN Dietitian for a maternity cover at Doncaster PCN, delivering dietetic care within GP practices on a hybrid basis across 2-3 sites.

You will assess, diagnose and manage adults with nutrition-related conditions, work autonomously in primary care, and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to improve access to high-quality dietetic care.

The role offers a salary of £35,212–£50,056 per year, up to 37.5 hours weekly, with a February 2027 start date.

Qualifications

• HCPC qualification required (undergrad or postgrad)
• Current HCPC registration
• Minimum 3 years post-registration clinical experience in dietetics

Responsibilities

• Assess, diagnose, triage and manage a clinical caseload of adults with nutrition-related conditions
• Provide personalised, evidence-based care plans tailored to patient needs
• Support behaviour change to improve self-management and reduce pharmacological reliance
• Refer patients to appropriate services and collaborate with secondary care
• Deliver consultations face-to-face, by telephone and video; run group education sessions

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Communication

Autonomous practice

MDT collaboration

IT literacy (EMIS/SystmOne)

Education

HCPC-approved dietetics qualification

Tools

EMIS

SystmOne

Job description

Hours: Up to 37.5 hours per week (full-time preferred)

Salary: £35,212 - £50,056 per year (depending on experience)

Contract: 9 months fixed-term

Start date: February 2027

Role Overview

We are seeking a Primary Care Network (PCN) Dietitian for a maternity cover (9 months fixed term) at Doncaster PCN, working with an adult patient caseload. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of primary care, delivering specialist dietetic services directly within GP practices, on a hybrid basis across 2-3 practices.

As a PCN Dietitian, you will work as an autonomous clinical practitioner, assessing, diagnosing, treating and managing patients with dietetic and nutrition-related conditions. You will be a key member of the multidisciplinary team, helping to reduce GP workload and improve patient access to timely, high-quality dietetic care.

Key Responsibilities

Clinical

• Assess, diagnose, triage and manage a clinical caseload of patients with nutrition-related conditions, including pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, weight management, frailty and malnutrition
• Provide personalised, evidence-based care plans tailored to each patient's clinical status, lifestyle, preferences and goals
• Support patients to make sustainable behaviour changes and build confidence in self-management, reducing reliance on pharmacological interventions where appropriate
• Work with patients who have complex needs, including psychosocial factors or mental health considerations
• Refer patients to other services when appropriate, including secondary care, social prescribing and community support, working within local referral pathways
• Deliver consultations face-to-face, by telephone and by video as required
• Deliver group education sessions where appropriate

Multidisciplinary Team Working

• Build strong working relationships with GPs, practice nurses, clinical pharmacists, social prescribers and other PCN staff
• Contribute to reducing GP workload by managing dietetic referrals directly and providing specialist input
• Improve patient access to timely dietetic care within the community
• Participate in MDT meetings and case discussions where relevant

Service Development, Audit and Quality

• Support audit, evaluation and outcome monitoring to demonstrate service impact and identify areas for improvement
• Collect and submit clinical and patient outcome data in line with PCD reporting requirements, contributing to both PCN-level service evaluation and PCD's wider clinical outcomes programme
• Contribute to the development of efficient, streamlined care pathways within primary care
• Identify opportunities to enhance patient experience and clinical effectiveness
• Support the implementation of new initiatives or service developments as required

Professional Development and Governance

• Practise in line with HCPC standards, professional codes of conduct and organisational policies
• Engage in regular clinical supervision and reflective practice
• Participate in training, including Stage 1 of NHS England's Roadmap to Practice (progression to Stage 2, First Contact practice, is optional and depends on individual PCN interest and requirements)
• Make use of protected CPD time (4 hours per week, pro-rated) to support ongoing learning and career development
• Contribute to clinical governance, including incident reporting, risk management and quality assurance

Leadership and Communication

• Communicate complex and sensitive information clearly and compassionately to patients and carers
• Advise PCN colleagues on appropriate referral criteria and the scope of dietetic services
• Support a culture of learning and improvement within the wider team
• Act as an ambassador for dietetics within primary care

Key Skills and Attributes

• Strong clinical reasoning and problem-solving, with the ability to identify when onward referral or further investigation is needed
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to deliver personalised, culturally appropriate and innovative dietetic care to diverse patient populations
• Flexible, adaptable approach to service delivery in a fast-evolving primary care environment
• Ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced setting
• Commitment to reflective practice and ongoing professional development
• Confident using clinical IT systems (e.g. EMIS, SystmOne) and modern ways of working
• Ability to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies and procedures

Person Specification

• HCPC-approved undergraduate or postgraduate dietetic qualification
• Current HCPC registration
• Minimum 3 years post-registration clinical experience in dietetics
• Understanding of NHS England's Roadmap to Practice

About Primary Care Dietitians

Primary Care Dietitians is England's only national independent specialist PCN dietitian provider. We support NHS PCNs and their GP practices to deliver high-quality, tech-enabled dietetic services.

Our team is supported by experienced, NHS England-trained clinical supervisors. We offer a supportive environment for all team members, with 4 hours of protected CPD time every week and structured career development through NHS England's Roadmap to Practice.

Whether you are a Band 6 with 3 years' post-graduate experience stepping up into this role, or a seasoned Band 8a moving into primary care for the first time, we are committed to supporting your professional growth.

General Terms

This role profile is not exhaustive. You may be asked to complete other reasonable tasks within the expectations of your position.

All Primary Care Dietitians staff are expected to:

• Ensure their conduct meets the standards in the Primary Care Dietitians Code of Conduct
• Safeguard children and adults, acting on any concerns to ensure appropriate assessment and investigation
• Adhere to all Primary Care Dietitians policies and procedures

Contact

For more information about this role, please contact [e-mail]