Overview
We are looking for a Dietetic Assistant to join a busy hospital-based team of Dietitians at John Radcliffe and Churchill Hospitals. The role involves working directly with patients and healthcare professionals, carrying out administrative tasks, and managing the ordering, movement, and stock control of nutritional products.
Values: Delivering Compassionate Excellence – compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
Qualifications
* Interest in nutrition and willingness to work in a hospital environment.
* Background or qualification in human nutrition desirable.
* Organised, flexible, strong communication skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Key Responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
* After training, review and monitor a small caseload of named patients under the supervision of a dietitian. This includes:
o Gathering clinical information from electronic records, nursing staff, housekeepers, patients and carers.
o Liaising with nursing staff and other MDT members such as Speech and Language Therapists or Occupational Therapists regarding the patient's nutritional plan.
o Calculating patients’ intake from food record charts, often using a dietary analysis computer package.
o Monitoring patient to achieve optimum nutritional intake.
o Assessing patient’s tolerance to tube feeding.
o Regularly liaising with the supervising dietitian on all aspects of patients’ nutritional care.
o Recording interventions and actions on electronic patient records in accordance with professional standards.
* Oversee the completion of daily menus for all patients on therapeutic diets, working closely with catering staff.
* Assist in education and training of staff (e.g., housekeepers) on nutrition or nutritional screening such as MUST training.
Professional Responsibilities
* Participate in the induction of new ward and dietetic staff, demonstrating the role of the Dietetic Assistant and informing them about therapeutic meals, nutritional supplements and raising nutritional awareness.
* Train ward hosts, catering staff, housekeepers or ward staff on importance of nutrition, adapting teaching methods for limited English where required.
* Engage in project work including review audits, mealtime observation audits and patient mealtime satisfaction surveys.
* Provide training to patients under the supervision of a dietitian.
* Participate in annual appraisal, identify developmental needs and set a personal development plan.
Catering Responsibilities
* Liaise with dietitians, patients, catering department and ward staff to ensure provision of therapeutic diets, appropriate snacks, supplements and enteral feeds runs smoothly.
* Act as a member of the dietetic catering group and provide regular feedback to the department.
* Code menus to reflect changes in food supplied; communicate with catering suppliers, managers, chefs across all hospitals.
* Work with the dietitian to alter menus, update special diet manuals and nutrition policy and disseminate information on the intranet.
Administration Responsibilities
* Order and supply nutritional products to wards and outpatients; conduct weekly stock takes, place orders, liaise with suppliers, move stock and ensure invoices are processed.
* Maintain a supply of feeding pumps for ward or home use; liaise with suppliers for deliveries and repairs; check buffer pump supplies.
* Complete paperwork when patients on enteral feeds are discharged.
* Assist department secretaries with general administrative tasks such as answering phone calls, entering patient activity data and updating the intranet site.
Organisational Responsibilities
* Determine priorities for own work area based on clinical need and balance patient caseload with professional demands.
* Collect data as required by the department, Trust and outside agencies.
* Maintain accurate documentation of patient interventions on electronic records.
* Oversee ordering, delivery and payment of nutritional products and maintain a clear and safe feed store environment.
This advert closes on Thursday 28 May 2026.
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