Specialist Dietitian

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; Weston-super-Mare; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Job summary

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust has a vacancy for a Specialist Dietitian (Band 6) to cover maternity leave at Weston General Hospital. The post focuses on acute inpatient and outpatient nutrition, with involvement in ICU and medical wards and some surgical input.

You will provide expert nutrition support and contribute to education and service development. You will demonstrate core skills in oral, enteral and parenteral nutrition, and employ behaviour change strategies while collaborating across

Qualifications

• Continuing professional development evidence required.
• Degree/Postgraduate qualification in nutrition or dietetics.
• Clinical supervisory skills (basic).
• PEN Group Clinical Update Course and/or Behaviour Change Course.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert nutritional care across critical care & medicine.
• Work with MDT to ensure effective care and discharge planning.
• Communicate nutrition plans to professionals at all levels.
• Educate patients on therapeutic dietary regimens and lifestyle changes.
• Translate nutritional concepts into practical everyday terms.
• Contribute to care and discharge planning meetings.

Skills

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Teaching/presentation

Computer skills

Clinical reasoning

Behavioural interviewing

Interprofessional teamwork

Complex information processing

Initiative

Transport access

Education

Nutrition or Dietetics degree

Continuing professional development

Clinical Supervisory Skills (Basic)

PEN/Behaviour Change Course

Tools

Dietary analysis software

Job description

Main area Dietitian Grade Band 6 Contract Fixed term: 10 months (Maternity leave cover) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Contracted hours to be delivered over 5 days) Job ref 387-D&T6051-LH

Employer Bristol NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Weston General Hospital Town Weston Salary £39,959 - £48,117 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 03/09/2026 23:59

Band 6

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT) and University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) have merged as of 1 st July 2026 to become Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. This will create an exciting future that brings together the best of both organisations. As a single, strong and sustainable organisation, we will not only be able to deliver better outcomes for our patients and fairer care for our population, but it will also provide greater opportunities for our people.

Bristol NHS Foundation Trust recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations, and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job overview

This vacancy is for a Specialist Dietitian, maternity leave cover. The post is based at our Weston General Hospital, alongside other Dietitians & Dietetic Support Workers delivering high quality nutritional care. The role will focus on acute inpatient beds & outpatients, across a number of pathways but primarily within specialist areas of ICU and medical inpatient wards. Input to surgical wards is also required, particularly when patients initially step down from ICU.

You will require to demonstrate core skills in oral, enteral and parenteral nutrition support along with behaviour change strategies.

Work will be augmented with wider service development, education and student training.

All members of the team work one Bank Holiday a year.

Main duties of the job

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

Working for our organisation

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

• Q2 Evidence of continuing professional development
• Q3 Degree/Post Graduate qualification in nutrition or dietetics
• Q4 Clinical Supervisory Skills (Basic)
• Q6 PEN Group Clinical Update Course and/or Behaviour Change Course

Knowledge and Experience

• E1 Proven experience in: Enteral Nutrition Support - Chronic Disease Management - Nutrition support in acute illness
• E2 Working as part of a multi-professional Team
• E6 Experience of supervision of junior staff
• E7 Experience of writing protocols & guidelines
• E8 Experience of working in the community
• E9 Experience of Home Enteral Nutrition

Skills and abilities

• S1 Good communication skills at all levels - Oral - Written - Interpersona
• S2 Good organisational skills
• S4 Teaching/presentation skills in a variety of settings & to professional groups/ grades
• S5 Computer skills & use of dietary analysis programmes
• S6 Advanced clinical reasoning
• S7 Behaviour & motivational interviewing skills
• S8 Able to maintain effective working relationships across different professions
• S11 Team player & able to maintain effective working relationships
• S12 Ability to process highly complex information or situations
• S13 Ability to work under own initiative
• S14 Ability to deal with challenging behaviours of patients, carers & students
• S10 Active/committee member of BDA Specialist Interest Group
• S15 Access to transport in order to deliver community working

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

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 to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.

BFT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.

If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.

The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.

By applying for this post, you are agreeing to Bristol NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e‑mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

IMPORTANT:

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work‑related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Alternatively contact - Deone van Rooyen, Senior Surgical & Oncology Dietitian, 01934647031 ext 3554