Band 7 Lead Diabetes Specialist Dietitian

Job overview

Are you looking for a new and exciting role?  We are looking for an enthusiastic team player to join our Dietetic Team at East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.  This is an exciting and innovative Band 7 lead diabetes dietitian post working within primary and secondary care across East Sussex. You will be responsible for the provision of a comprehensive, effective and evidence based dietetic outpatient service as part of the ESHT Diabetes multi-disciplinary team.

Our close knit and supportive Dietetic Department includes over 40 clinicians and associated staff working across the specialities of community nutrition support, diabetes, gastroenterology, inpatients, intensive care, oncology, paediatrics, prescribing support and rehabilitation.  Our department also includes Primary Care Network (PCN) dietitians, plus our apprentice dietitians and trainee Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) dietitians.  We promote and value a strong focus on health and wellbeing in our team, including through social events and activities.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for the specialist nutrition and dietetic management of patient with diabetes (all types) referred for nutritional advice in East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (including Type 1, Gestational and Type 2, assessment and treatment) using specialist knowledge and skills.

To provide a comprehensive and effective dietetic service (assessment and treatment) to the ESHT Diabetes Team using highly developed specialist knowledge and skills.

To promote effective nutrition care plans and best practice by providing education, training and support for healthcare professionals and staff in care agencies.

To work as an integral member of the multi-disciplinary Diabetes Team and Nutrition & Dietetic service acting as an expert on the dietetic management of adults with diabetes providing advice, support and training to staff, advising on change in dietetic treatment in line with evidence based practise.

To be responsible for the planning and prioritising of own clinical caseload, this includes all adult patients with diabetes (all types) and any co-morbidities e.g. gastroenterology, oncology, rheumatology, cardiology, surgery and palliative care in the out patient setting.

To develop and audit resources and services to support the identification, treatment and monitoring of dietetic intervention in diabetes as part of the Nutrition and Dietetic department participating in research as identified, as well as acting as a resource for specialist information.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To carry a highly complex caseload of patients within the clinical area of diabetes. To assess and implement treatment plans, evaluate the outcome and re-assess throughout the package of care. This includes insulin pump patients, continuous glucose monitoring and the development and running the type 1 diabetes structured education programme in adults and paediatrics.

To develop and audit evidence based written materials and teaching resources as required, using research based methodology.  Ensure the availability of culturally appropriate information.

To work with the diabetes structured education team to support the QISMET accreditation renewal process, including programme updates, paperwork and interviews, to ensure our education courses continue to meet high standards of service provision.

To provide high quality, highly complex nutritional and dietetic advice in order to contribute to the care of patients and their families with Diabetes enabling them to make informed choices about their health related behaviours.  This will involve calculation of nutritional requirements, assessment of oral intake, lifestyle and barriers to change; and interpretation of biochemical and anthropometric measurements, as well as considering social and cultural needs.  The outcome of the dietetic consultation will be a patient specific nutrition action plan.

To develop, negotiate and review specific action plans for patients with diabetes in consultation with the patients and their carers.  This will involve explaining the rational for dietary change, nutritional counselling, agreeing dietary goals and supportive and motivational skills to overcome barriers to change.

To make clinical decisions concerning necessary changes to patients dietary intake and oral nutritional supplement prescriptions, and communicate these decisions to other healthcare professionals, patients and carers.

To make recommendations to the medical/specialist nurse team regarding the adaptation of medication for the management of diabetes based on interpretation of biochemical parameters and dietary intake.

Please see job description for full details.