Specialist Dietitian - Renal | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	22 April 2025
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£46,148 - £52,809 pa
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	22 May 2025
Location:	Oxford, OX3 7LE
Company:	Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7129350/321-MRC-7129350-B7-PUB

Summary

Are you a registered dietitian looking for a new opportunity? Would you like to advance your career by working for and learning from one of the largest acute teaching hospital Trusts in the UK?

This is an exciting new opportunity for a band 6 or 7 dietitian with renal experience to support the development of the dietetic service to patients within the Oxford Kidney and Transplant unit, to initiate audit and clinically supervise Band 6 renal Dietitians alongside renal team leads.



You will be welcomed into a team of specialist renal dietitians working within The Oxford Kidney Unit. Based at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford we provide a regional renal service for Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Swindon. The post holder will work closely with the multi-disciplinary team who value and respect the role of the Dietitian. The clinical caseload will be varied and will include renal and transplant inpatients, MDT low clearance clinics and dialysis units.

As a valued member of our team, you will receive:
• Flexible working, including opportunities for home working
• Dedicated time for professional and service development
• Regular appraisals and personalised development plan
• Access to a range ofCPD opportunities, the Oxford AHPs Research & Innovation Unit, and Bodleian Library collection.

To be jointly responsible for the development and provision of a highly specialist, evidence based dietetic service to the patients treated within the renal and transplant units at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust (OUHT).The clinical caseload will be varied and will include renal and transplant inpatients, MDT low clearance clinics and dialysis units. This involves working as an integral member of both the Dietetic team and the MDT to provide a flexible, prioritised service based on clinical need.

Along with the Service Manager and Renal Team Leads, to be responsible for the dietetic service provided to their clinical area and its development.

Participate in departmental audits and initiate audit within own clinical area in order to monitor and evaluate whether local/ national standards are being met and make recommendations for change.

Act as a source of expertise for local dietetic, nursing and medical colleagues and nationally regarding the nutritional management of the identified patient group.

Along with the Team Lead, Clinical Lead and Dietetic Service Manager to plan annual leave, cover arrangements and other leadership tasks of the renal dietitian team.

Educate, train and disseminate information to healthcare professionals including clinicians, nurses, allied health professionals, dietetic colleagues and students about the dietetic management of renal and transplant patients.

Clinically supervise Band 6 renal dietitians.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trustis one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.

We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence, and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via theOUH YouTube channel.

In 2023 NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit to theten core principles

Oxford University Hospitalspromotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.

If you want to make a difference with us, come and join our team. Together, we will uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism.



CLINICAL

Be professionally and legally accountable for own work and caseload.

Work autonomously as the lead clinical specialist, in the provision of a comprehensive nutrition and dietetic service to the OKU and Oxford Transplant Centre at the OUH. This will involve workingas an integral member of the multidisciplinary team so as to ensure a holistic approach to patient care. This will include:

- To assess and triage referrals made by members of the multidisciplinary team in order to ensure effective use of time and resources.

- Early appropriate management of nutritionally related surgical issues post transplant to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, reduce hospital length of stay and prevent avoidable readmissions.

- Early dietetic assessment and appropriate individualised nutrition therapy/interventions for renal and transplant inpatients, dialysis and low clearance outpatients.

- A dietetic presence at MDT meetings, board rounds and case conferences to provide accurate information on nutritional status, progress and plans.

- Facilitate improved partnerships with renal and transplant staff and the wider MDT.To assess the nutritional status of individual patients based on anthropometric measurements e.g. weight, height, weight history, hand grip strength, as well as biochemical parameters, diet history and other validated methods of nutritional assessment as appropriate.

Obtain and analyse relevant information from different sources including: electronic patient records, medical notes, nursing notes, the patient and their carers, ward staff etc, in order to make a comprehensive assessment of the patients needs.

Advise on initiation and titration of certain medicines used within renal medicine for example phosphate binding agents.

Attend regular renal and transplant team meetings when patient care is reviewed, liaison meetings with other multi-disciplinary teams where patients joint care is planned and reviewed, case conferences, ward rounds and governance meetings.

Along with the team lead to have responsibility for all organisation, liaison and monitoring of the dietetic aspect of this service.

To communicate effectively with patients, carers, family and other health professionals. Skills of negotiation, motivation, explanation and gaining consent will be used in a wide variety of and sometimes sensitive situations. The ability to communicate complex information at an appropriate level to allow understanding is essential. Barriers to communication may be evident e.g. loss of hearing, receptive and expressive problems with the formulation and understanding of language or difficulties with speaking. The use of communication aids such as letter/picture boards or games may be necessary.

Be involved in discharge planning of renal patients to other facilities e.g. nursing home, community hospital, and district general hospitals both within and outside of Oxfordshire. Advising members of staff - nursing, dietetic and catering staff on dietary modifications and how this can be achieved within the constraints of their facilities. This includes those discharged into GP and District Nurses care.

Participate in research and audit undertaken by the OKU/Oxford Transplant Centre and/or Dietetic team. Presentation of audit or research results at national or international conferences to promote practise and share expertise with colleagues.

To provide specialist advice, teaching and training to all members of the multidisciplinary team and wider dietetic depart, regarding the nutritional management of renal / transplant patients. This involves regular participation in in-house training of clinicians and both specialist / ward nursing staff and non-renal dietetic staff (Oxford and satellite units).

To be actively involved with the development of evidence based, trust-wide guidelines - to be a resource to other dietitians as specialist renal practitioners, writing and compiling diet sheets, protocols and advice.



ORGANISATIONAL

To determine priorities for own work area based on clinical need and balance patient caseload with professional demands.

Collation of audit data on the outcomes of renal and transplant patients managed in the dietetic service

To collect data as required by the department, trust and outside agencies.

To maintain accurate and up to date documentation of patient interventions on electronic records. To communicate dietetic interventions to appropriate members of the multidisciplinary team by documentation within nursing/medical notes or by means of generating a letter/report.



MANAGEMENT AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Be accountable for own actions working within the professional, ethical and legal framework for dietetics set out in the Health Profession Councils Dietitians’ Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and the British Dietetic Association’s Professional Standards for Dietitians and Code of Professional Conduct.

To remain up to date with the relevant literature and ensure that this informs evidence based practice which will optimise the long term outcomes for each individual patient.

Clinically supervise Band 6 renal dietitians.

To initiate and lead discussions on organisational, professional and clinical issues relevant to the service area. Along with the Service Managers, to be responsible for the dietetic service provided to their clinical area and its development.

To continue to develop own knowledge and skills and contribute to the development of colleagues within the MDT and the Dietetic Service. This involves:

a) taking responsibility for own continuing professional development (CPD) and provide evidence for this by maintaining a CPD portfolio. CPD involves critical evaluation of scientific papers, attending professional development meetings, working as a reflective practitioner and attending relevant internal/external courses.

b) Participating in own annual appraisal, identifying own development and training needs and setting personal development objectives with line manager.

c) Undertaking all relevant statutory and mandatory training

d) Involvement in the dietetic student training programme

e) Providing specialist education and advice to dietetic colleagues in the area of renal and transplant via regular departmental professional update meetings

f) Attending and representing the department and lead area of work at the regional and national meetings as appropriate.

To be responsible for communicating effectively and working collaboratively with the Dietetic team, line managers, other health professionals within the MDT and other organisations to ensure a co-ordinated and evidence based approach to the delivery of dietetic care.


This advert closes on Tuesday 29 Apr 2025

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