NUTRITION AND DIET THERAPY SERVICE

Contact Information:

The Nutrition and Diet Therapy Service

Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust

The Ulster Hospital

Dundonald

Belfast

BT16 1RH

Phone: 028 90564 756 (direct line) 9.00am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday

What does a Dietitian do?

Within the Nutrition and Diet Therapy Service in Ulster Community & Hospitals Trust, we employ both Dietitians and Dietetic Assistants.

Dietitians are uniquely qualified to translate scientific information about food into practical dietary advice. We specialise in nutritional assessment which is used together with clinical information to prescribe appropriate dietary treatment. Our overall aim is to educate patients to make informed choices required for the dietary management of their condition and ensure nutritional needs are met. We have a key role in the management of artificial feeding and provide support to family and carers. We liaise with other health professionals and key personnel in a variety of settings.

Dietetic Assistants work under the direct supervision of registered Dietitians and implement the nutritional plans prepared by the Dietitian for individual patients. Their duties include advising on menu options, undertaking computer dietary analysis, ordering special dietary products, monitoring individual patients nutritional progress.

What conditions do we treat?

Dietitians provide nutrition and diet therapy for a range of conditions including:

Where do we provide treatment?

The Nutrition and Diet Therapy Service is delivered to inpatients and outpatients in all acute sites, i.e. The Ulster Hospital, Ards Community Hospital and Bangor Community Hospital. In the main, we provide acute hospital services to adults and children. This includes nutrition and dietary advice.

We also provide specific outreach community services as follows:

Paediatrics

We provide specialist paediatric dietetic services for children under the care of Community Paediatricians in the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust, the Down sector of Down Lisburn Trust and the East sector of South and East Belfast Trust. This involves the provision of outpatient clinics in Scrabo Children’s Centre, Newtownards; Templemore Avenue Health Centre, Belfast; Children’s Disability Service, Market Street, Downpatrick. A limited service is provided to special schools in these three Trust areas and some children may be seen in their own home if essential.

Specialist Community Palliative Care

With the support of funding from the Big Lottery, we are currently providing a 3 year pilot of a Specialist Community Palliative Care Dietitian. This service enables patients with specialist palliative care needs in the community to have timely access to nutrition and diet therapy support. This Dietitian also acts as a source of specialist expertise and education for other health professionals and voluntary agencies in relation to the management of nutritional problems of palliative patients.

Community Weight Management

The Ards and North Down Local Health and Social Care Groups, commissioned the services of a Dietitian to provide a clinic in the community for weight management using anti-obesity drug therapy. Clinics are delivered in various community facilities throughout the area.

Tissue Viability

We currently have a Community Dietitian providing dedicated support to the Tissue Viability Team. This involves assessing the individual nutritional needs of patients with complex wounds and providing advice accordingly. The Dietitian also provides advice, guidance and education to other health professionals in relation to nutrition and wounds.

All other community services are provided by the Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service in North and West Belfast Trust.

Click here to see how you can be referred to the Dietetics Department.

Would you like to become a Dietitian, click here for more information.

Frequently asked questions – Do you have a query about your appointment (what to bring, how long the appointment will be etc) Click here to view.