Highly Specialist Dietitian for Paediatric Allergy & Acute Services

As a clinical lead specialist, to be responsible for the development and provision of a specialist, evidence based paediatric dietetic allergy service to the paediatric allergy unit at St Georges Hospital. To take the lead in providing highly specialist dietetic advice to the multidisciplinary team through attendance and participation in multidisciplinary team meetings and ward rounds. To provide expert advice to clinicians, patients and carers regarding provision of nutritional support for paediatric patients based on clinical evidence. This will involve nutritional assessment, to include the calculation of nutritional requirements for highly complex clinical cases, based on the analysis and interpretation of biochemistry, anthropometry, clinical condition and other physical parameters. To use highly developed skills for making clinical judgements in highly complex clinical cases where there is no evidence available and expert opinion differs. As the expert in the field, this requires decisions to be made on the best course of treatment taking into account a number of treatment options. To prescribe and modify on a daily basis specialised feeds made up by the special feed production unit. To directly prescribe and modify nutritional supplements based on nutritional status and to inform the medical team. To provide highly complex nutrition counselling to carers and paediatric patients, where post graduate training in cognitive behavioural therapy is required, as well as the use of reassurance and motivational skills to overcome barriers to change particularly where there is non-compliance. Ability to utilise developed communication and teaching skills, to educate and convey essential, highly complex and highly sensitive paediatric nutritional information to a diverse and multicultural population, with barriers to understanding. To initiate and participate in regular research and audit within the area of paediatric medicine in line with departmental research and audit procedures. This includes co-ordination and supervision of research projects for undergraduate dietetic students. It will be expected that any relevant findings should be published or presented at appropriate conferences. To have the ability to manage appropriately situations which are distressing, involving the treatment of terminally ill and very unwell children, which leads to exposure to distressed parents and complex situations.