Specialty Dietitian – Haematology/Oncology | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	25 April 2025
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£37,338 - £44,962 pa
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	25 May 2025
Location:	Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LE
Company:	Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7159499/321-MRC-7159499-B6

Summary

This exciting permanent position is ideal for anyone with an interest in oncology, particularly blood cancer and other blood disorders.



This specialist role will support the department to deliver high quality care to patients being treated on the Haematology Ward, Ambulatory Care Unit and Outpatient clinics. The role involves working closely with the Haematology multi-disciplinary teams and specialist nurses.



You will be well supported by an Oncology Team Lead and a Band 7 Dietitian for Advanced Cellular Therapy. The team is currently ~10 Dietitians, with Dietetic Assistant support. OUH commenced CAR-T therapy and we received additional funding to support this.



We encourage every Band 6 to protect 20% of their time within the role to development, both individually and as a service.

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

The position is based in the Department of Therapies and Dietetics within a purpose-built cancer and surgical centre at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford.

To have responsibility for providing a dietetic service to patients treated at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford. The focus of this post is blood cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, stem cell transplants, and experiencing complications related to treatment. The post holder will work closely and provide cover for a team of Oncology Dietitians and a Band 5 Dietitian on the Oncology rotation.



To contribute to the oncology dietetic service, working alongside a team of experienced oncology dietitians.

The role involves:
• Responsibility for the dietetic care of inpatients on the Haematology Ward at the Churchill Hospital, Oxford; and a stem cell transplant outpatient telephone clinic
• Working as a member of large multi-disciplinary teams
• Working with a team of oncology dietitians
• Working as a member of the dietetic department by taking the lead on corporate departmental projects
• Advising and teaching medical and nursing staff on the dietetic management of blood cancer patients and nutritional support
• Furthering best practice by current clinical evidence and develop departmental guidelines and standards of best practice.

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. For more information on OUH please viewOUH At a Glance by OUHospitals - Issuu

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.





Clinical

To work as part of a team of oncology dietitians and as an integral member of Haematology multidisciplinary teams to ensure a holistic approach to patient care. This involves attending weekly Haematology ward MDT meetings and oncology team meetings and liaising with Haematologists, specialist nurses, nursing teams, pharmacists, dietetic colleagues, dietetic and nutrition assistants.

Obtain and analyse relevant information from different sources including electronic patient records, the client, ward staff and/or carer’s, in order to make a comprehensive assessment of the patients condition, prognosis and treatment plans so that a decision on the most appropriate dietetic treatment to support this can be made in the short and long term.

Interpret and monitor biochemical data generally and specifically in relation to patients following stem cell transplantation or chemotherapy treatment.

Assess patients’ nutritional status by weight history, fluid balance, nutritional intake, stool output, vomiting and physical signs of deficiency.

Estimate nutritional requirements using specific assessment tools and calculations. To remain up to date with the literature and ensure that this is an evidence-based process and clinically relevant to haematology and oncology patients.

Advise on appropriate artificial feeding routes for patients with side-effects of chemotherapy and stem cell transplant such as oral mucositis, nausea and vomiting, lower gut mucositis.

Formulate individualised patient care plans, artificial feeding regimens, taking into consideration factors which may affect requirements or help/hinder provision of nutrition support such as: prescribed drugs, biochemical derangements, fluid balance etc. Within the care plan this could include modified-texture diets, nutritional supplements, specialist enteral tube feeds, parenteral nutrition.

Evaluate the effectiveness of nutritional goals and modify these goals and care plans as necessary based on ongoing analysis, assessment of information available and changing patient needs.

Address and monitor their changing nutritional needs over the course of their disease and advise other members of the multidisciplinary team.

Be involved in discharge planning of patients to other facilities e.g. acute hospitals outside Oxfordshire, community hospital, district general hospital, nursing home, or to their own home. Advising members of staff - nursing, dietetic and catering staff on dietary modifications or nutritional support.

Modify dietary advice according to biochemistry, lifestyle, treatment undertaken, drugs and associated medical conditions adding to complexity of dietetic management.

Use communication techniques i.e. behavioural change and motivational interviewing to work with the patient to adapt their diet.

Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, carers and other health professionals. Skills of persuasion, motivation, explanation and gaining consent may be used in a wide variety of different, sometimes sensitive, situations. It is important to be able to communicate complex information at an appropriate level. Barriers to communication may be evident e.g. loss of sight, loss of hearing, lack of English, both written and spoken, requiring the use of translators.

Deal with patients with chronic conditions and those with poor outcomes/terminal conditions.

To be sensitive to the religious and ethnic needs of patients' dietary requirements and have an understanding of foods eaten by multicultural populations and how they impact on hospital catering.

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

To provide specialist training and supervision of dietetic colleagues and students using skills of reflective practice.

To cover for other dietitians when sickness or leave necessitates.

Organise own workload: prioritising and balancing patient-related and professional demands and contributing to the effectiveness of the oncology team.

To judge and determine the appropriateness of referrals made by members of the multidisciplinary team in order to ensure effective use of time and resources.

Assess patient’s diagnosis, medical care and biochemistry making decisions as to who needs dietary management.



Professional

Be accountable for own actions within the professional, ethical and legal framework for dietetics set out in the Health and Care Profession Councils code of practice for Dietitians and the British Dietetic Associations professional standards for Dietitians.

To take responsibility for own continuing professional development and providing 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.

Participate in annual appraisal, identifying own developmental and training needs and setting personal developmental objectives.

To participate in departmental audits and initiate audit within own work area in order to monitor and evaluate whether local/national/international standards are being met and make recommendations for change. To be involved with the planning of departmental clinical effectiveness and audit strategies.

Actively contribute to the dietetic student training program, facilitating the development of skills and knowledge, being involved in the assessment process and acting as a mentor to students.

To provide specialist advice, teaching and training to dietetic colleagues, students or members of the multidisciplinary team, regarding the nutritional management of patients, particularly with respect to Stem cell transplantation.

To have a detailed understanding of Stem cell transplantation, chemotherapy treatments and their side effects, Sickle cell anaemia, etc.

To take the lead on corporate departmental projects.



Organisational

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

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.


This advert closes on Tuesday 6 May 2025

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