Specialist Dietitian | East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust; Colchester; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS organization in Colchester is seeking an experienced dietitian to cover maternity leave. This role involves delivering specialized nutritional support to complex patients and managing dietary protocols as a key member of the multidisciplinary Nutrition Support Team. The successful applicant will benefit from extensive professional development opportunities and a supportive working environment, including training programs and generous leave policies. If passionate about patient care, we encourage you to apply before the closing date of 16 Dec 2025.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

27 days annual leave

NHS discounts

Staff health and wellbeing programme

Qualifications

• Experience providing specialised inpatient and outpatient nutritional support.
• Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and make clinical decisions.
• Knowledge of enteral and parenteral feeding practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialised nutritional support to complex patients.
• Make clinical decisions regarding nutrition support administration.
• Lead on nutrition support matters within the department.
• Review and implement nutrition support protocols.

Skills

Specialised nutritional support

Clinical decision-making

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Protocol development

Education

Registered Dietitian qualification

Job description

Overview

We are recruiting for an experienced dietitian to cover maternity leave. The successful candidate will become part of a large team of dietitians and dietetic assistants with an apprentice due to start in the New Year. The team works in a variety of inpatient specialties, community services, paediatrics and renal.

This role offers the opportunity to develop and influence service delivery in complex nutrition support. The post holder will deliver a service to complex nutrition support patients working collaboratively with another band 7 dietitian, nutrition nurses and the wider MDT.

There is an expectation to line manage individuals within the department, contribute to our established student‑training programme and support other team members in their development including preceptorship.

You will participate in a variety of activities to build your CPD portfolio including training provided internally and access to external training relevant to your role.

Responsibilities

• To provide a highly specialised inpatient and outpatient service to complex patients requiring nutrition support, considering the range of options available, including patients with naso‑jejunal tubes, on home IV fluids (e.g. short bowel syndrome patients) in liaison with the Nutrition team staff.
• To make clinical decisions as part of the Nutrition Team about the appropriateness of PN, safe administration, recommendations as to alternative artificial support and advise on changes in PN prescriptions.
• To provide nutritional support to appropriate surgical elective care patients after surgical pre‑assessment in addition to providing dietetic input after surgery.
• To be the lead within the department on nutrition support matters.
• To be a member of the multidisciplinary Nutrition Support Team, participate in twice‑weekly full MDT consultant‑led ward rounds as well as daily ward rounds with the Nutrition Nurse to provide expert support to complex patients.
• Review, develop and implement protocols and policies for nutrition support across the acute Trust.
• To attend and support the referral process and organisation of the Feeding Issues MDT.
• To act as the dietetic lead at multi‑disciplinary team meetings.
• To provide specialist knowledge and advice to all Health Care Professionals on enteral and parenteral feeding.
• To provide expert knowledge with regard to nutrition support to other dietitians within the Trust.
• To cover the Critical Care Unit as required during staff absence.

Benefits & Work Environment

We are ESNEFT and we provide hospital and community health services to almost one million people across East Suffolk and North Essex. Our dedicated staff deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, community clinics and in patients’ own homes.

We are one of the largest NHS organisations in England, employing more than 12,000 staff.

We pride ourselves on supporting our staff. We offer a wide range of training and development opportunities, as well as flexible working options.

Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

Our philosophy is that Time Matters to everyone. Across the Trust, we concentrate on improving the things we do and removing those which cause time delays for our staff and patients.

We are investing in our commitment to Time Matters with a partnership with leading electronic patient record (EPR) supplier Epic. This digital transformation will bring what’s widely regarded as the world’s best EPR system to ESNEFT, transforming life in hospital for staff and patients.

If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge, then we want to hear from you.

Find out about living and working here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkPu7HphU8A

For full details of the responsibilities and duties of this role please see the attached job description.

This advert closes on Tuesday 16 Dec 2025.