Advanced Dietitian NHS AfC: Band 7

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic, enthusiastic, hardworking and motivated Dietitian, with experience in UGI cancer, to join our friendly and welcoming team of Dietitians and Dietetic Assistants. The successful applicant to this new role will be continuing the work already underway in implementing the Cheshire and Merseyside Cancer Alliance Optimal Oesophago-Gastric Pathway. They will also be expanding our Dietetic service to provide nutritional care to those with other UGI cancers.

This is a new and expanding service so you will be instrumental in setting up additional clinics and developing Dietetic pathways, including for those with a palliative diagnosis. You will be working alongside another Advanced UGI Cancer Dietitian. You will continue work already underway with establishing systems for assessing, monitoring and measuring outcomes, providing high quality, evidence-based advice and education to our patients, continuing work on identifying local services to support patients and exploring and implementing processes for the UGI Rapid Diagnostic Service.

Interviews for this position will be held on 19th May 2022.

Main duties of the job

You will be working closely with the UGI Cancer Nurse Specialists and the wider multi-disciplinary teams within the hospital and at the specialist centres, as well as having local Dietetic Assistant and Admin support. We are also advertising a Specialist Dietitian post in Gastro and UGI cancer so the successful applicant would also offer support and clinical supervision to the Specialist Dietitian.

The successful applicant will be a good team player but be able to work individually as well, being flexible, reliable, and conscientious, self-motivated and forward thinking as well as having excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Comprehensive clinical dietetic knowledge and recent clinical experience particularly in complex enteral feeding, use of modified diets and fluids and managing effects of anti-cancer treatments are essential. Teaching skills, experience of multi-disciplinary team working and experience in and enthusiasm for service improvement and clinical audit are vital. Reporting on nutritional outcomes will be required. There are protected audit sessions within the Trust and staff are encouraged to make use of these.

We have an excellent staff supervision and appraisal system which supports the development of individuals and their services. We take student Dietitians on Placements 1, 2 and 3 and you will have an active role in their training and assessment.

Working for our organisation

St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the only acute Trust in Cheshire and Merseyside, and one of the few in the entire country, to achieve the title of OUTSTANDING, rated by the Care Quality Commission.

We provide a full range of acute adult services to our local population of circa 360,000 and provide tertiary services across a much wider area in the North West, North Wales and Isle of Man. We are a Major Trauma Unit and the Mersey Regional Burns Unit.

Our ’5 Star Patient Care’ strategy is at the heart of all that we do; supporting our vision to provide world class services for all our patients by getting it right for every patient, every time.

Our latest achievements include:

• Acute Trust of the Year – HSJ Awards November 2019
• Trust rates Outstanding by the CQC – Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers and Health Service Journal)
• Best acute Trust in the North West for quality of care (NHS Staff Survey 2021)
• Best place to work in the North West (NHS Staff Survey 2021)

In the NHS Staff Survey 2021 the Trust scored the highest marks in the North West for the following areas;

• Standard of care
• Best place to work
• Care of patients being the Trust’s priority
• Staff engagement
• Staff morale
• Compassionate and inclusive
• Providing a safe environment for staff

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

A flexible approach to day to day tasks is required, in order to meet the demands of the service. Our philosophy is to keep the patient at the heart of everything we do. We look for people who are willing to go the extra mile, not because they are asked to, but because they are committed to being part of a healthcare team that delivers an excellent caring service to our patients.

The successful candidate will:

• Deliver a high standard of evidence based care
• Be confident in their assessment and decision making
• Participate in the discharge planning process
• Supervise Dietetic Assistants, Band 5 and 6 Dietitians and students on clinical placement
• Have significant postgraduate experience as a band 6/7 Dietitian
• Have the ability to work flexibly and adaptably to changing working patterns
• Have a working knowledge of a broad range of conditions with proven clinical skills or a keen interest in training in this specialist area