Specialist Surgical Dietitian

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

NHS Band 6 Salary: £39,959 - £48,117 per annum

Hours per week: Full-Time 37.5 hours per week

Contract type:  Permanent

Are you an experienced Band 5 or a Band 6 dietitian with an interest in surgery and intestinal failure? Portsmouth Dietitians are looking for a dietitian to work across a surgical and intestinal failure caseload.

This role requires an interest in complex nutrition support and parenteral nutrition. You will work alongside a second surgical band 6 dietitian sharing an inpatient caseload across surgical wards and a surgical follow up clinic. In addition you will support a caseload of patients with intestinal failure across inpatient wards and those maintained on home parenteral nutrition. You will be supported by senior band 7 staff and work as an integral member of the nutrition support team covering ward rounds and a nutrition support MDT clinic.

Portsmouth Dietitians are a team of 30 dietitians working across acute, renal, paediatric and community services. We pride ourselves on being a friendly and supportive department, with a strong track record of internal development. We provide student training placements and you will be expected to support students within your role.

Job Purpose:

• To deliver a shared specialist dietetic service to patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery, working with support to provide high quality nutritional care to patients in hospital and the community.
• To deliver a shared specialist dietetic service to people with intestinal failure living at home and requiring complex management of parenteral nutrition and hydration.
• As a core member of the nutrition support multidisciplinary team, to represent dietetics and promote the role of nutrition within patient care, and act as a resource to other members of surgical and dietetic teams involved in the nutritional care of surgical patients, as well as patients and carers.
• To provide highly skilled clinical advice with specialised knowledge in caring for patients and their carers.
• The post holder will have the opportunity to work with a high degree of autonomy within a well-supported specialist team
• To receive structured support and development through competency frameworks, peer learning, attendance at specialist training (e.g. St Mark’s 3-day course) and engagement with networks such as SHIFNet.
• This role offers an excellent opportunity to develop specialist skills in surgical dietetics and intestinal failure within a supportive and collaborative team environment.

For full job details please refer to enclosed job description.

Essential

• Degree/Diploma in Dietetics.
• Registration with the HCPC (please include number in application).

Desirable

• Member of the British Dietetic Association.

Experience

Essential

• 1 - 2 years’ experience including acute hospital dietetic.
• Evidence of professional development and/or commitment to postgraduate study.
• Evidence of audit, service evaluation or project work.
• Experience of providing teaching and education.
• Experience with nutrition support including oral and enteral.

Desirable

• At least 2 years’ experience in a range of medical and surgical specialties, including gastrointestinal surgery, intestinal failure, and oncology.
• Experience or exposure to parenteral nutrition (TPN) and intestinal failure.
• Experience of both in-patient and out-patient dietetic settings.
• Health promotion experience.
• Experience of student training.

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

• Professional, earnest and polite demeanour
• Able to promote the role of nutrition in clinical and health promotion settings.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise workload effectively.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to build rapport with patients, carers and colleagues.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and manage competing demands.
• Ability to recognise own limitations and seek support appropriately and respond to feedback.
• Excellent team working skills, particularly within multidisciplinary team (MDT) settings.
• Ability to cope with interruptions and maintain a professional approach and standards of excellence.
• Ability to work flexibly and adapt to changing service demands.
• Competent practitioner with developing clinical reasoning skills.
• Able to use initiative and be proactive while knowing when to escalate.
• Ability to support education and training of others.
• Ability to undertake a nutrition assessment, formulate a plan of care, undertake, evaluate, and modify in a timely manner; liaising with patients, carers, and other health professionals as required.
• Articulate and knowledgeable of current professional dietetic issues.
• Good IT skills (standard office and presentation software).

Desirable

• An understanding of efficiency and NHS/dietetic resources
• Experience contributing to guidelines, protocols or audit reports.

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs. 

For more information, please see our People and OD Strategy 2026