Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated Dietitian to join the Nutrition and Dietetics Team at Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust. Our service is part of one of the largest trusts in the UK and the dietetic team are well valued within the organisation so we are looking for a Dietitian with a passion to make a difference to our Oncology & Acute services, supporting with a 12 month fixed term maternity cover post.

The job will involve a varied caseload providing a specialist dietetic service to Oncology patients (including a caseload of Home Enteral Tube Fed patients) & also Acute General inpatients. The service is delivered in mainly out-patient clinics including telephone / virtual, Oncology Day Units, wards including the Palliative Care Unit & there may be the occasional home visit.

This role will be based at North Tyneside General Hospital where you will join a friendly team of Dietitians, Dietetic Assistant Practitioners (DAPs) and Dietetic Assistants (DAs). The post holder may be required to work Trustwide at times to meet the needs of the service which covers the counties of Northumberland and North Tyneside.

We are a supportive department and will provide you with relevant training and support required. CPD is really important to us and we encourage participation in training & education. We have a monthly journal club & you will also become a member of the North East Oncology Group who meet quarterly to share best practice.

Main duties of the job
The post requires the successful applicant:

• To act as a Specialist Oncology Dietitian within a multi-agency team
• To manage a caseload of Specialist Community Oncology Patients & General Inpatients
• To provide a quality Nutrition and Dietetic Service in Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust.
• To work as part of multidisciplinary teams which could include Medical Staff, Specialist Nurses, Ward Staff, Speech Therapy & Dietitians from other Trusts.
• To link in with Acute & Community Oncology Teams.
• To be an active member of the team and play a vital role in patient service delivery, education and resource development.
• To role model compassionate and inclusive leadership in order to shape the creation of a collective leadership culture within the trust. This means demonstrating a consistent leadership style which:
  • engages, enables
  • uses coaching to promote ownership of learning and quality improvement
  • facilitates team working and collaboration within teams / departments and across organisational boundaries.

We participate in student training & actively provide A, B and C placements for Leeds Beckett University, Newcastle University and Teesside University. All of our staff are encouraged to take part in student training with support provided to help you in this role.

About us
We manage three major locality hospitals at North Tyneside, Wansbeck and Hexham, plus a number of smaller community hospitals and clinics from Tynemouth to Berwick on Tweed, covering one of the largest geographical areas of any NHS trust in the country. Leading in innovation and quality - opening a state of the art Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, the first of its kind in England. Do you want to work in one of the best performing NHS organisations in England? Work in an organisation that supports its staff and focuses on staff experience as much as it does the experience of its patients? You can live and breathe in an area that has the cleanest air, cost effective living, great nightlife, some of the best schools with a wealth of history available on your doorstep. Sound too good to be true? Well it isn't, this is what you get when you work for Northumbria Healthcare, this is the Northumbria Way! Please read 'applicant guidance notes' before submitting your application.

Details
Date posted: 03 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £39,959 to £48,117 a year
pro rata per annum
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 12 months
Working pattern: Full-time,
Flexible working
Reference number: 319-8232729KD
Job locations: North Tyneside
Rake Lane
North Shields
NE29 8NH
United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
The post holder will be responsible for a diverse caseload of Oncology patients within North Tyneside & Northumberland in a variety of settings including face to face and telephone outpatient clinics, Oncology Day Units at North Tyneside & Hexham General Hospitals, Palliative Care Unit at North Tyneside General Hospital & occasionally within patients own homes if needed. You will also be responsible for an acute caseload within North Tyneside General Hospital, providing care in a variety of speciality wards.

You must be able to work both autonomously and as part of a team within the wider MDT. It is also expected you will contribute to student training and act as a support for our Band 5 Dietitians, Apprentice Dietitians, DAPs, DAs. We encourage participation in regular CPD activities and we hold regular departmental and team meetings including a monthly journal club allowing the opportunity to learn from training, case discussions and peer support.

The post holder is expected to:

• Manage a busy & complex caseload of patients with a variety of Oncological diseases including a caseload of Home Enterally Tube Fed patients & General Acute Inpatients
• Be an active part of the Upper GI Oncology MDT & North East Oncology Group
• Provide regular cover to Oncology Day Units & Palliative Care Unit
• Deliver highly specialised dietetic advice to Oncology patients and their families / carers
• Work in a strategic manner and have a positive attitude to caseload & specialist area
• Act as a specialist resource for patients, their families and other health professionals
• Be able to implement change using advanced counselling and motivational interviewing techniques
• Plan and organise education and training sessions for colleagues, student dietitians, other health professionals, and other outside agencies
• Advise and formulate policies relating to specialist area of work (Oncology)
• Participate in audit & research
• Contribute to, develop, monitor and comply with standards and policies for the dietetic department and the Trust

This post would be appropriate for those currently working in a Band 5 position who are ready for a Specialist Band 6 post and for current Band 6 Dietitians with an interest in developing their career specialising in Oncology.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Degree in nutrition and dietetics or first level degree plus postgraduate diploma in nutrition and dietetics
• Current registration with Health Professions Council
• Practice Educator

Desirable

• PEN Group / DAFNE /DESMOND or other accredited qualification
• Non-Medical Prescribing

Experience and Knowledge
Essential

• A range of in and outpatient experience

Desirable

• Have supervised students
• Experience in critical appraisal

Other Requirements
Essential

• It is an essential requirement of the role that the post holder has a valid driving licence and is either a car owner and able to use the car for work purposes, or has a Trust personal lease vehicle which may be used for the role. However, the Trust would consider making reasonable adjustments to the role, if necessary, to enable a disabled person to undertake the role.

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: Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Address: North Tyneside
Rake Lane
North Shields
NE29 8NH
United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.northumbria.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Team Lead Dietitian/Specialist Oncology Dietitian
Nicola Cunningham
nicola.cunningham@nhct.nhs.uk
01670564006

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