Specialist Dietitian

Bristol Nhs Foundation Trust; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust seeks an experienced Specialist Dietitian to join Weston General Hospital on fixed-term maternity cover. You will deliver expert nutritional care across acute inpatient pathways, with focus on medical wards, ICU and surgical step-down, managing a varied caseload with autonomy within the MDT.

The role offers opportunities to contribute to service development, education and student training. NHS environment and HCPC registration are essential.

Qualifications

• HCPC registration is essential.
• Degree or postgraduate qualification in nutrition or dietetics.
• Experience in NHS or similar acute hospital environment.
• Experience with enteral nutrition and nutrition support in acute illness.
• Strong communication skills at all levels; training and teaching others.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert nutritional care across pathways, notably critical care and medicine.
• Work closely with the MDT to coordinate care and discharge planning.
• Communicate effectively with health professionals and patients; explain complex nutrition concepts clearly.
• Educate and support patients on therapeutic dietary regimens and lifestyle changes.
• Contribute to service development, education and student training.

Skills

Clinical supervisory skills

Communication skills

Teaching and presentations

Motivational interviewing

Team collaboration

NHS hospital experience

Enteral nutrition

Chronic disease management

Student training

Education

Degree in nutrition/dietetics

Job description

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced Specialist Dietitian to join our Adult Nutrition and Dietetics team at Weston General Hospital on a fixed-term basis to provide maternity leave cover.
Working alongside Dietitians and Dietetic Support Workers, you will deliver high-quality nutritional care across a range of acute inpatient pathways, with a particular focus on medical wards, our 5-bedded Intensive Care Unit and surgical step-down patients. You will be required to demonstrate core skills in oral, enteral and parenteral nutrition support.
The successful candidate will manage a varied caseload, providing specialist dietetic assessment and intervention for patients with complex nutritional needs while working closely with the multidisciplinary team. The role also offers opportunities to contribute to service development, education and student training.
Due to the fixed-term nature of this maternity cover post and service requirements, priority will be given to candidates who can demonstrate:

• Ability to commence employment within three months
• Experience in an NHS or similar acute hospital environment
• The knowledge, skills and experience to work effectively with a high degree of autonomy and minimal supervision

All members of the team work one bank holiday each year.

Main duties of the job

The post will provide expert nutritional care across a range of pathways, notably critical care and medicine.

• The role works closely with a wide range of professionals within the MDT
• Ensure effective communication at all levels of health care professionals regarding the nutritional care of individual patients. Impart information to patients in situations which could be distressing or emotional for the patient, therefore require use of holistic skills.
• Use negotiation skills to motivate and negotiate dietary change. This will require using a variety of evaluation strategies and adapting communication techniques if necessary.
• Educate, support and direct patients by advising on therapeutic dietary regimens which may involve significant and continuous lifestyle changes.
• Translate nutritional concepts into practical everyday terms for patients, staff and professional colleagues of all levels. As a key member of the multi-professional team, provide expert dietetic advice at case conferences, care and discharge planning meetings.
• Liaise with partners including clinical MDTs, pharmacy, catering and the community to ensure continuity of care across service providers.

About us

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust brings together more than 28,000 staff to deliver over 160 clinical services across thirteen hospital locations, operating from three main sites at Southmead, Bristol city centre and Weston.
With an annual turnover of £2.3 billion, we are now one of the largest NHS trusts in the United Kingdom. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer.
Bristol NHS Foundation Trust values all people as individuals. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.

Details

Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum, pro rata
Contract: Fixed term, 8 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Closing date: 15 November 2026

Essential

• HCPC registration
• Degree/Post Graduate qualification in nutrition or dietetics
• Clinical supervisory skills
• Good communication skills at all levels oral and written
• Teaching and presentation skills in a variety of settings and to professional groups/grades
• Behaviour and motivational interviewing skills
• Able to maintain effective working relationships across different professions
• Experience in an NHS or similar acute hospital environment
• Proven experience in enteral nutrition support, chronic disease management, nutrition support in acute illness
• Student / learner training

Desirable

• PENG Clinical update course and / or Behaviour change course
• Experience of supervision of junior staff

Contact

For questions about the job, contact Helen Wilmott, Food Policy and Stroke Dietitian, at [e-mail]

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions. Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.