Job summary
a) Work as an autonomous practitioner, providing highly specialist clinical dietetic expertise for defined clinical areas
b) Provide advanced dietetic assessments and individualised treatment plans for a complex specialist caseload
c) Support the clinical and professional development of junior dietetic staff and students
d) Support the development of policies and resources to support delivery of evidence-based dietetic advice
e) Identify and lead service improvement, audit and research and disseminate results and best practice through publication and presentation

Main duties of the job
The UHS paediatric dietetic team are seeking registered paediatric dietitians already working as band 6 or band 7 paediatric dietitians in the NHS, who would be interested in working as and when hours via NHSP to support our workforce when we have vacancies. This will require onsite working at Southampton General Hospital. We are not currently seeking dietitians who wish to work remotely.

About us
Here at NHS Professionals, we run England's largest NHS staff bank and are experts at putting people in places to care. Every year we help thousands of dedicated and highly skilled NHS workers enjoy better career opportunities, more flexible shifts, and a healthier work-life balance across our partnered Trusts.

• Career Progression access to Learning & Development opportunities, so that you can take on new roles and challenges
• Work-life Balance flexible shifts, committed shifts, wellbeing resources and build paid annual leave
• Opportunity & Access over 50 partner NHS Trusts to give you the flexibility of choice to work how and where you want

Details
Date posted: 09 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 7
Salary: Depending on experience
Contract: Bank
Duration: 1 years
Working pattern: Flexible working
Reference number: M0042-26-0339

Job responsibilities

• Work autonomously to manage a highly specialist, high quality, evidence-based, effective dietetic service within defined clinical areas
• Undertake comprehensive, dietetic patient assessments, including taking diet histories, interpreting food and fluid charts, taking anthropometric measurements and review of laboratory results, biochemistry and investigations
• Make clinical judgements and decisions based on comprehensive individual nutritional assessments, clinical condition and other physical parameters and select and evaluate nutritional treatment plans including recommending appropriate nutritional products
• Independently formulate, deliver, monitor and adjust accordingly, individualised nutritional treatment plans, recognising limitations of treatment options, and when to refer to other disciplines or to seek expert advice
• Participate in ward rounds/multidisciplinary meetings/case conferences to provide expert dietetic expertise integrating dietary assessment, assisting diagnosis and influencing treatment decisions
• Provide complex nutritional counselling to patients/carers and communicate complex nutritional information, adapting information as necessary where there are barriers to understanding and providing appropriate advice and reassurance
• Communicate and liaise with multidisciplinary teams regarding complex nutrition related prescriptions and nutritional management of patients and where necessary provide information and education to clinicians, patients, and carers
• Interpret and apply national clinical guidelines to ensure that dietetic treatment enables patients to achieve optimal improvement in quality of life
• Simplify complex nutritional issues for patients and their carers, developing appropriate training interventions using a variety of methods as part of a structured programme for identified patient groups
• Provide an interface between all parties involved with provision of nutrition and patient care
• Undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner, being professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of professional activities working to agreed local, national, and professional standards
• Plan and prioritise own caseload adjusting to meet emerging priorities and ensuring the timely maintenance of appropriate records
• Assist the prioritisation of workload for junior team members providing senior advice and support where required
• Provide clinical supervision and professional support to identified members of the dietetic team, undertaking appraisals for assigned staff
• Participate in planned and unplanned clinical cover as required to support the wider service
• Promote nutrition related activities to ensure that an effective patient focused service is available, and that nutrition is integrated within the healthcare agenda
• Participate in the recruitment and selection of members of staff
• Participate in the planning, supervision, training, and assessment of students
• Contribute to the development, implementation, delivery, and evaluation of training programmes for a variety of healthcare professionals
• Identify and lead relevant projects/audits/service evaluation/research, to ensure delivery of best practice and effective service provision, disseminating results through publications and presentations at local and national level
• Review service capacity and contribute to operation planning to resolve capacity issues in conjunction with service leads
• Manage clinical risk and undertake risk assessments regarding patient condition and environment to ensure patient and staff safety
• Present complex nutritional information to large groups of people e.g. university presentations or conferences
• Contribute expert nutrition opinion in initiating, developing, and reviewing nutrition related standards, guidelines, policies, resources and service developments

Person Specification
Essential qualifications and experience

• Degree or equivalent in Nutrition and Dietetics
• HCPC (Health and Care professions Council) registered dietitian (RD)
• Evidence of commitment to relevant ongoing CPD and development in relevant areas
• Evidence of relevant dietetic knowledge and expertise with recent experience demonstrating this
• Experience of audit/project work
• Ability to communicate complex information fluently, confidently and effectively to a diverse range of people: e.g., with patients, carers, managers and other health care professionals
• Ability to cover out of hours commitments on agreed occasions
• Ability to demonstrate a practical and sensitive approach and flexibility in working style when applying clinical judgement to complex clinical issues
• Ability to create rapport and professionally manage relationships with colleagues, patients and carers and the emotional challenges this presents
• Demonstrate a holistic approach to treatment
• Ability to cope with unpredictable events and varying clinical and non-clinical work pressures, independently planning and prioritising own workload, managing own time and meeting deadlines

Desirable

• Member of British Dietetic Association (BDA) and relevant specialist groups
• Experience mentoring or supervising dietetic assistants or junior staff
• Experience and involvement with dietetic student training

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.

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: NHS Professionals Limited
Address: University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Tremona Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Senior Recruitment consultant Vanessa Chung, UHS@nhsprofessionals.nhs.uk, 03330143694

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