Dietitians are healthcare professionals that diagnose and treat diet and nutritional problems, both at an individual patient and wider public health level. Working in a variety of settings, including primary care, with patients of all ages, dietitians support changes to food intake to address diabetes, food allergies, coeliac disease, and metabolic diseases. Dietitians also translate public health and scientific research on food, health, and disease into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.
The responsibilities stated in the Network Contract DES for Dietitians are more generalised giving greater potential to utilise for cancer patients. It should not be underestimated the potential improvements to morbidity, mortality, length and quality of life of cancer patients, including the effectiveness of treatments that could be made by involvement with a Dietitian. The potential for innovation in this role within Primary Care is huge but unfortunately, we do have a deficit of this profession. They do have the skill and influence to change patient care with service improvement, education and champion nutrition in this group.
A dietitian can support the following:
Prevention
- Making Every Contact Count
- Healthy lifestyle advice
- Obesity management
Early Diagnosis
- Knowledge of signs and symptoms of cancer and recurrence
Enhanced Health in Care Homes
- Support care staff through education on managing weight loss and malnutrition
- Manage complex cancer patients
Personalised Care
- Cancer Care Reviews
- Manage cancer and palliative patients with severe and complex nutritional needs
- Prehabilitation
- Support PCN staff to manage nutritional needs during the whole of the cancer pathway
- Support families and carers with education and treatment plans
- Refer into specialist Dietitian service
Quality Improvement
- Access to nutritional support for cancer and palliative patients
Patients may or may not understand the importance of their nutritional status on the success of their treatments, length and quality of life.
We do know they want:
- care closer to home which this role can provide
- dietary advice – there is a lot of conflicting advice and patients can be susceptible to dangerous treatments and may refuse cancer treatments
- Equitable care – provision is not the same and certain cancers get more input than others from Dietitians
- Carers want advice on how to manage nutrition in loved ones that may be palliative or struggling with their intake.
We can offer links to training and education to help you support and provide personalised care to cancer patients. Please see our resource package for more details (Appendix 7).
We also have a Wessex Cancer Alliance Allied Health Professional Forum which brings together AHPs working in Cancer to share knowledge and support each other. Please email contact us if you would like to join.
There is also a Wessex Cancer Specialist Dietitian Group, please contact us if you’d like to join it.
Macmillan also provide a Primary Care Update which includes latest developments, learning and case studies relating to cancer across primary care, to sign up please access the following link: Sign up for Primary Care Update – Macmillan Cancer Support
We welcome ideas on further training needs or innovation. Please contact us to discuss further.
There is potential for this role to be palliative and /or cancer specific however, it is more likely they will be generalist with the PCN. We have provided some insight on how you could utilise a Dietitian and how this will help deliver the GP Contract DES and other primary care responsibilities (Appendix 9).
If you would like more general information about the Dietitian role and supportive documents, please access Wessex LMCs: PCN Workforce – ARRS and Dieticians – Dorset Primary Care Training Hub (primarycaredorset.co.uk)
