Welcome to Dietetics
On this page you'll find lots of information about the dietetics service at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.
As a team, we provide support and advice for all wards around the Trust’s hospitals. Illness or surgery can have an impact on a patient’s appetite, as well as other factors, which is where our team provides specialist support. We also provide nutritional support for babies and children, which can include working with children with allergies or diabetes.
This page includes lots of useful information about our service and what we do, including self-help guides for both adults and children and referral information for service professionals. If you can't find what you're looking for on our webpage, please get in touch with the team.
Dietetics is the professional application of the science of nutrition in health and disease to all groups of people.
The title “Dietitian” can only be used by those appropriately trained professionals who have registered with the Health Professions Council and work under their code of conduct, performance and ethics. You can check whether the Dietitian you are seeing is registered with the Health Professions Council by visiting their website: www.hpc-uk.org
Registered Dietitians (RD’s) are uniquely qualified to translate the scientific knowledge of food into practical advice. They work both in preventing ill health through the promotion of dietary awareness as well as treating people will diet related medical conditions.
Dietitians can provide nutritional assessment and advice on how best to meet nutritional requirements of individual patients. They can work on a one to one basis or with groups as well as liaising where appropriate with relatives, carers and other health care professionals.
The Dietitians in the hospitals provide support and advice for all wards as required.
Patients admitted to hospital are at risk of malnutrition, they are often very ill which can affect appetite, also infections or healing from surgery or injury increases their need for calories and nutrients.
All adults are screened for malnutrition on admittance to hospital and all patients with a significant risk will be seen by the Dietitian to help prevent weight loss and to ensure they receive the nutrition they need.
Situations may arise where patients require artificial feeding. This maybe when a patient can not eat or drink enough, are unable to swallow, surgery to their head, neck or stomach or are unconscious. Nutrition can be provided via a tube through their nose, stomach or bowel. Dietitians will ensure that the feed they are given through the tube is safe and adequate.
Dietitians will provide specialist support for people who come into hospital as an outpatient for example, renal dialysis, insulin pump therapy or adjustment, cancer clinics, bowel disorder clinics and eating disorders.
Babies and children requiring nutritional support can be seen in the neonatal intensive care unit or on the children’s wards. Specialist Children’s clinics for allergy, diabetes and cystic fibrosis have a Dietitian to ensure that the children receive adequate nutrition for wellness and growth.
Some adults, children and babies will leave hospital with feeding tubes and pumps. Dietitians will care for these patients in the community whether it be in their own homes or care homes. Dietitians ensure the nutrition they receive is adequate and support the patient, relatives or carers with the use of the equipment required.
Dietetic clinics run in a wide number of health centres across East Lancashire supporting a range of conditions that can be improved by making dietary changes, these include: diabetes, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, obesity and malnutrition caused by a wide variety of conditions.
The department is involved in writing policies and procedures to help improve the nutrition of the population of East Lancashire.
The department also delivers training in nutrition to a wide range of local Health Care Professionals and is a centre for training student Dietitians.
Dietetics: 01282 804700