Frailty dietitian
The closing date is 21 July 2026

Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated Dietitian to join our friendly and pro-active Nutrition and Dietetics Service at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.

This secondment post offers an enthusiastic Dietitian an opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge and provide a high quality dietetic service. The role has been established to enhance capacity within the community dietetic team pending the recruitment of a substantive postholder.

This is an exciting opportunity to work closely and collaboratively with members of the frailty multidisciplinary team including consultants, specialist nurses and allied health professionals to provide care across acute community sites. The successful candidate will be passionate and motivated to develop the service and care for the most vulnerable people

Main duties of the job
To be responsible for providing a dietetic service across Gateshead, to frail adult service users, within a range of settings including outpatient clinics, care homes, patients own homes and where appropriate inreach within the acute setting.

To work within a multiagency team including specialist nurses, consultants, Frailty team, Care homes, GP's and other Allied Health Professions (AHP's).

About us
Based in the North East of England we provide a range of hospital and community health services from our leading facilities, including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blaydon urgent care centre and Bensham Hospital, all within Gateshead.

Established in 2005, we were one of the first foundation trusts in the country and since then have consistently achieved the highest levels of care for patients.

We now employ around 4,800 staff and currently provide 444 hospital beds across the Gateshead region.

Our values should be the 'golden thread' which runs through everything we do - they are the core of who we are. Our five values can easily be remembered by the simple acronym ICORE; Innovation, Care, Openness, Respect, Engagement.

We have a number of staff networks including the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) network, D-Ability network, LGBTQ+ Network and the Women's Network, to challenge us and help us to constantly improve. Our Armed Forces network is one of our emerging networks.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is one of our highest priorities, and we offer a range of support and initiatives as part of our 'Balance' programme balancegateshead.com to cater for our diverse workforce, so that your individual needs can be supported, allowing you a happy and healthy working experience with us.

Details
Date posted: 15 July 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum
Contract: Secondment
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 297-8063897
Job locations: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Gateshead, NE9 6SX

Job description
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will be responsible for providing dietetic input to patients living with frailty within the population of Gateshead. Working within the MDT, the successful candidate will promote the profile of dietetics and be the source of nutritional expertise to patients, families, carers and the multidisciplinary teams across Gateshead.

There will be expectations that some cover is also provided to the trust palliative care ward, St Bedes as required.

Staff members are actively encouraged to participate in audit, monitoring, evaluation and development of the dietetic services, there is the expectation that all staff are involved in supervision of junior members of staff, students and apprentices as required.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Degree or post graduate diploma/ masters in Nutrition and Dietetics
• Current HCPC registration

Desirable

• Teaching qualification

Skills and Knowledge
Essential

• Good communication skills
• Good organisation and prioritisation skills
• IT skills including use of MS office and clinical systems
• Excellent time management skills
• Presentation skills
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of frailty and underlying health conditions

Desirable

• Completion of counselling skills/ behaviour change course
• Competent to manage nutritional support and enteral feeding regimes in adults

Experience
Essential

• Successful completion of NHS Dietetic placements
• Experience of enteral feeding and community dietetics

Desirable

• Experience of working as a band 5

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Self-motivated
• Friendly, outgoing, confident
• Enthusiastic
• Adapt easily to new situations
• Able to work independently whilst seeking support where needed
• Flexible to fit with the demands of the job
• Able to meet travel requirements of the post

Desirable

• Member of BDA

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details
Employer name: Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Gateshead, NE9 6SX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.qegateshead.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact:
Nutrition and Dietetic Service Lead
Nairne Litster
nairne.litster@nhs.net
01914452074

Supporting documents
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)