What do Dietitians do?
- Provide information and advice about all aspects of food, health and nutrition which is safe, practical and based on current scientific evidence.
- Use current public health and scientific research on food, health and disease to provide practical advice to help people choose appropriate nutrition and lifestyles to improve their health.
- Work with patients on a one to one basis, as well as working with groups of patients, carers and other healthcare professionals.
- Train and educate other healthcare professionals in a range of diets and nutrition.
- Develop patient information leaflets to help with the understanding and planning of therapeutic diets.
Watch this quick video below
What do Dietitians in Primary Care do? Infographic below
What is a First Contact Practitioner Dietitian?
First Contact Practitioner accreditation recognises the Dietitian as a diagnostic clinician, who sees the patient first and leads on assessing and managing undiagnosed presentations that are amenable to dietary changes. This means it is easier for patients to access the right health professional, without needing to see a GP or a hospital team first.
Who is the service for?
Bexhill PCN Dietitians have a focused clinical remit working with patients with frailty and undernutrition PostcardGPFrailtyFINAL.pdf (bda.uk.com)
Bexhill PCN Dietitian also support patients with gastrointestinal problems such as altered bowels, IBS, coeliac disease, diverticular disease PostcardGPGastroFINAL.pdf (bda.uk.com)
Other conditions that the FCP Dietitan may be able to support with, include nutritional assessment, cardiovascular disease, bone health, pancreatic enzyme support and early stage renal impairment.
Patients wanting support with losing weight and improving physical activity can get support from our colleagues working for OneYou East Sussex – please click on the link below for more information –
Healthy eating – Eat Well – One You East Sussex
Move more – Move More – One You East Sussex
How do I make an appointment?
- If you are concerned that you or someone you care about is not managing to eat or drink enough, have been losing weight unintentionally and/or would benefit from Dietitian assessment, please ask for an appointment with the Dietitian.
- If you are concerned that you or someone you care about has a dietary condition you need support with please ask for an appointment with the Dietitian.
- The receptionist will ask you some questions to check that the Dietitian is the right health professional for you to see.
- The service is for people aged 16 or over
Resources
British Dietetic Association (BDA) | British Dietetic Association (BDA)
Guts UK – committed to fighting all digestive diseases (gutscharity.org.uk)
Managing Malnutrition: Leaflets for Patients and Carers (malnutritionpathway.co.uk)