Senior Specialist Dietitian for Oncology and Surgery

Senior Specialist Dietitian for Oncology and Surgery

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

Are you an experienced Dietitian ready to take the next steps in your career? Are you keen to further develop your specialist knowledge, leadership and service development skills? Become a Senior Specialist Dietitian at UHBW where you will play a crucial role in leading, developing and delivering high-quality nutritional care to patients within oncology and surgery at Weston General Hospital.

Why choose Weston General Hospital? Weston General Hospital is an integral part of UHBW, providing high-quality care to the vibrant community in the beautiful coastal town of Weston-Super-Mare. With ongoing investment, a commitment to innovation, and strong links to leading specialist centres, Weston is an exciting place to advance your career.

Our friendly, multidisciplinary teams work closely together to deliver outstanding care, with a strong focus on professional development and pioneering clinical practice. What we offer: Access to CPD opportunities, specialist training, and leadership pathways. A supportive and collaborative environment with a team passionate about patient care and professional growth. Flexi time working. Monthly protected time. Monthly team breakfast. Enjoy a fantastic work-life balance with the stunning Somerset coastline on your doorstep, and excellent transport links to Bristol, Bath, and beyond.

Main duties of the job

What we're looking for:

HCPC registration and significant post-registration experience in dietetics.

Specialist knowledge in oncology and/or surgery, with a passion for advancing nutritional care in these areas.

Strong leadership skills to inspire and guide a dedicated team and others within the department.

The ability to adapt quickly to established systems and contribute innovative ideas to enhance service delivery.

The role:

As a Senior Specialist Dietitian, you will be at the heart of nutritional care for oncology and surgical patients. You will:

1. Provide expert dietetic assessment and intervention for complex oncology and surgical cases.
2. Work closely with leading consultants, specialist nurses, and the wider MDT to optimise patient outcomes.
3. Lead and develop specialist dietetic services within oncology and surgery, influencing patient pathways and service delivery.
4. Support the development of junior staff and students, sharing your expertise and passion for dietetics.
5. Contribute to research, service improvement projects, and policy development in specialist nutrition.

If you're ready to make a difference and take the next step in your career, apply today or get in touch to find out more. We'd love to hear from you!

For further information or an informal chat, please contact: sian.inson@uhbw.nhs.uk

About us

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. 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. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. 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.

Job responsibilities

The Senior Specialist Dietitian provides a highly specialist clinical service for oncology outpatients and surgical inpatients.

The Senior Specialist Dietitian will lead oncology outpatients and surgery inpatient pathways providing direction for peers & colleagues.

The Senior Specialist Dietitian contributes to all relevant activities involved in pathway delivery e.g., ward rounds, meetings, audit, and research.

The Senior Specialist Dietitian will provide a comprehensive specialised service, which includes relevant education and/or training to all healthcare professionals, carers and other workers.

The Senior Specialist Dietitian will be committed to the maintenance of personal specialist expertise, which is current, relevant, and accessible.

The Senior Specialist Dietitian directly line manages junior staff members i.e. junior dietitians and support workers, including appraisal & supervision.

The Senior Specialist Dietitian participates in the training/development of junior dietitians, support workers, and dietetic students.

The post holder will also provide clinical cover for other senior specialist dietitians duties in their absence.

The Senior Specialist Dietitian also undertakes any other reasonable duties, which may be identified in consultation with the Pathway Leads for Nutrition & Dietetics & Operational Lead for Adult Nutrition & Dietetic / Speech & Language Therapy Services.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

• HCPC registration (E)
• Degree/postgraduate qualification in nutrition and dietetics (E)
• Evidence of extensive postgraduate training relevant to post (E)
• Clinical supervisory skills course (E)
• Postgraduate diploma/MSc or equivalent evidence of advanced dietetic practice (E)
• PENG Group Clinical Update Course and/or Behaviour Change Course (E)
• BDA membership (D)
• Teaching qualification (D)

Knowledge and Experience

• Significant clinical experience in: Nutritional Support/Therapy in the relevant pathways of care i.e. stroke, care of the elderly -Chronic Disease Management -Enteral Nutrition Support. This should include a significant period of time working in a clinical speciality at a senior level (E)
• Working as part of a multi-professional team (E)
• Experience of training dietetic students at all grades (E)
• Experience of audit and/or quality assurance (E)
• Experience of managing/supervising junior staff (E)
• Experience of working in a multicultural setting (E)
• Experience of producing protocols and procedures for use by others (D)
• Experience or involvement of implementing guidance, policy (D)
• Research and Development (D)

Skills and Abilities

• Advanced communications skills at all levels (E)
• Good organisational skills and time management (E)
• Teaching/presentation skills in a variety of settings and to professional groups/grades at undergraduate, postgraduate and higher degree level (E)
• Computer skills i.e. Databases, Excel and use of dietary analysis programs (E)
• Advanced analytical and clinical reasoning skills (E)
• Behavioural and motivational interviewing skills (E)
• Counselling skills (D)
• Evidence of published own work/articles etc. (D)
• Ability to work under pressure (E)
• Ability to both work alone and as a team player (E)
• Able to maintain effective working relationships across different professions (E)
• Ability to work under own initiative (E)
• Flexibility (E)
• Reflective approach to practice (E)
• Ability to process highly complex information or situations (E)
• Ability to deal with challenging behaviours of patients, carers and students (E)
• Promotes professional interests (E)
• Active/committee member of BDA Specialist Interest Group (D)

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.