Nutrition and dietetics

A Dietitian will assess each patient individually. The assessment will include looking at the patient’s clinical condition and treatments, blood test results, medications, physical signs of nutritional status, weight, height and growth pattern, nutritional requirements, eating or feeding pattern, and dietary habits. Based on this assessment, the Dietitian will formulate an evidence-based nutrition care plan and translate that plan into practical advice for the parent/guardian/carer. The nutrition care plan will support the medical treatment or management, and overall well-being.

In some cases, the nutrition care plan is the sole treatment for the medical condition. The Dietitian works with the patient, parent/guardian/carer, and the multi-disciplinary team to set goals that are practical, achievable, and effective. The Dietitian will monitor the effectiveness of the nutrition care plan in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team.

Dietitians provide group education for parents/guardians/carers of children with some conditions.

We work closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team including:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Occupational therapists
• Pharmacists
• Physiotherapists
• Psychologists
• Social workers
• Speech and language therapists
• The Special Feeds Unit
• Catering

Dietitians provide services for the following clinical specialties:

• Allergy
• Burns
• Cardiology
• Critical Care
• Cystic fibrosis
• Diabetes
• Dermatology (Epidermolysis bullosa)
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• General Paediatrics
• General Surgery
• Haematology
• Inherited Metabolic Disorders
• Neonatalogy
• Nephrology
• Neurodisability
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Oncology
• Orthopaedics