Coastal Primary Care Network is seeking aproactive, motivated, and patient-focused Dietitian to join ourwell-established and collaborative network.This is an exciting opportunity to work within primary care, delivering yourown clinics while also contributing to the wider multidisciplinary team acrossour four practices. The role offers the chance to have a meaningful impact onpatient outcomes by supporting holistic, person-centred care, improving qualityof life, and enabling patients to make informed decisions about their health.Initially, the role will focus on supporting patients with diabetes, with scopeto expand into a broader caseload including frailty, malnutrition, and weightmanagement.
Main duties of the job
- Deliver high-quality, person-centreddietetic clinics within primary care
- Support management of long-term conditions, particularly diabetes
- Promote self-management and lifestyle changes
- Provide dietary advice for weight management, malnutrition, frailty, andcardiovascular health
- Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team Contribute to population health management
- Support consistent, evidence-based nutritional care across the PCN
- Build strong relationships with colleagues and patients
About us
Coastal PCN serves a population of over 30,000patients along the south coast of Cornwall. The network comprises four GPpractices working collaboratively. These include Carnon Downs Surgery, Chacewater Health Centre, Perranporth Surgery and St Agnes SurgeryOur population includes young families, working-age adults, and an increasingelderly population, providing a varied and rewarding clinical environment.All practices are committed to delivering high-quality care and regularlyachieve high levels of patient satisfaction.
Job responsibilities
The PCN Dietitian will work as part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) across Coastal PCN to deliver high-quality, person-centred nutritional care. The post holder will lead on the prevention, identification, and management of diet-related conditions, with a particular focus on diabetes and long-term conditions (LTCs).
The role aims to:
- Improve clinical outcomes and patient experience
- Reduce health inequalities and variation in care
- Support patients to self-manage their conditions
- Contribute to recovery of care processes and achievement of NICE targets (e.g. HbA1c, cholesterol, blood pressure)
The Dietitian will operate at an advanced clinical level and act as a key clinical resource within primary care.
Clinical Practice
- Undertake advanced assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients with complex nutritional needs
- Deliver evidence-based dietary interventions for conditions including:
- Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2)
- Cardiovascular disease
- Malnutrition and frailty
- Support optimisation of:
- Glycaemic control (HbA1c)
- Lipids and blood pressure
- Nutritional status (including micronutrients and wound healing)
- Develop and implement personalised care plans using behaviour change techniques
- Promote supported self-management and structured education programmes
- Provide follow-up, review, and onward referral where appropriate
Service Delivery & MDT Working
- Work collaboratively with GPs, nurses, pharmacists, social prescribers, mental health practitioners, and podiatry services
- Identify and risk stratify patient cohorts using tools such as PARM
- Improve uptake of:
- Structured education for diabetes
- Routine monitoring and annual reviews
- Act as a link between primary, community, and secondary care dietetic services
- Contribute to integrated care pathways and reduce duplication of services
Leadership & Service Development
- Provide clinical leadership within the PCN on dietetic care
- Support development of local care pathways and referral guidelines
- Deliver education and training to the wider MDT on nutrition and dietetics
- Contribute to service planning, evaluation, and quality improvement
- Promote the role and impact of dietetics within primary care
Education & Workforce Development
- Provide supervision, mentorship, and training for staff and students
- Support upskilling of the primary care workforce in nutrition and behaviour change
- Maintain own professional development in line with HCPC requirements
Research, Audit & Governance
- Undertake audit, data collection, and service evaluation
- Use data to inform service improvements and demonstrate impactEnsure compliance with clinical governance, safeguarding, and risk management
- Contribute to evidence-based practice and implementation of national guidance
Communication & Engagement
- Communicate complex nutritional information clearly to patients and carers
- Engage with diverse populations, addressing barriers to access and health inequalities
- Build strong relationships across health, social care, and voluntary sectors
- Advocate for patient-centred care and shared decision-making
Person Specification
Experience
- ~ Significant post-registration experience, including diabetes management
- ~ Strong understanding of nutrition in long-term conditions
- ~ Experience in complex case management and behaviour change
- ~ Experience working within MDT environments
- ~ IT skills including GP systems and data tools
- ~ Primary care or community experience
- ~ Experience in service development and quality improvement
- ~ Knowledge of population health and health inequalities
Qualifications
- ~ Hold a BSc or MSc in Dietetics (HCPC approved)
- ~ Be registered with the HCPC
- ~ Work within professional and ethical standards
- ~ Maintain appropriate clinical supervision and CPD
- ~ Non-medical prescribing qualification (or willingness to work towards)
- ~ Member of the British Dietetic Association (BDA)
- ~ Specialist training in diabetes or long-term conditions
- ~ Advanced clinical assessment and decision-making skills
- ~ Excellent communication and motivational interviewing skills
- ~ Ability to manage a complex caseload independently
- ~ Strong organisational and prioritisation skills
- ~ Ability to analyse clinical data and outcomes
- ~ Group education and facilitation skills
- ~ Experience supervising or mentoring staff
- ~ Understanding of prescribing and medicines management
Personal Attributes
- ~ Patient-centred and compassionate approach
- ~ Flexible and adaptable
- ~ Ability to work across organisational boundaries
- ~ Professional integrity and accountability
- ~ Resilient and able to manage complexity
- ~ Ability to travel across PCN sites
- ~ Confidence to influence and challenge constructively
- ~ Strong leadership presence
- ~ High emotional intelligence
- ~ Confidence to influence and challenge constructively
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.
