Current Position
Working with BDA Specialist Groups, allied health profession colleagues, national bodies, trade unions, the media, charities and commercial partners, the BDA can be a driving force for policy change in areas relating to the BDA’s vision.
We can shape the conversation around workforce issues, food and health and sports and exercise. To achieve this, we need to combine our expert, trusted and independent voice with visibility in the fields that matter to our members.
We already have some presence in the political, business, industry and NHS environments; taking a leadership role on areas of influence such as pay negotiations, NHS workforce, medical product supply issues, the Greener NHS agenda, food skills education and workplace nutrition. We are also active in influential networks such as all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs) and sector alliance groups.
We are visible at key national events, where we can engage with stakeholders and share our latest projects and campaigns. We have live projects to provide a platform for our members to have a voice in all media channels.
We have developed an agreed set of five priority public affairs campaigns giving us the opportunity to focus our work with a more inclusive and targeted approach.
Members have shared that they value BDA and partner campaigns to promote the profession and specific messages, but that they would like to see us broaden the association’s influence and further develop interest in the profession.
Members would like to see us achieve more visibility for the whole profession, being proactive in key priority areas aligned to this strategy and member priorities. Through our partnerships, programmes and resources, the BDA will increase our capacity to influence public awareness of what dietitians do and how they can support behaviour changes towards a healthy diet for people and the planet.
By 2034
By 2034 members will have a closer relationship with the BDA, providing a collective voice on the issues that matter most to them, including workload, workforce and retention in key roles. Our staff and volunteer resources will be targeted to increase their effectiveness, by taking a strategic campaigning approach.
Members will be able to access resources to share with the public and policy makers, and be confident that the BDA is co-ordinating responses to calls for evidence, consultations and other policy requests.
Through our policy and engagement work, we will be supporting the profession to become leaders in nutrition and dietetic evidence-based practice at a national and international level.
By continually developing our media and social media outreach, providing evidence-based information, promoting a healthy diet for people and the planet and holding misinformation to account, we will further promote the expertise of the profession.
We will use the BDA brand and reach, to positively influence stakeholders and policy makers within each of the four nations, exerting influence on behalf of and with our members.
By 2034 the BDA will be recognised as the authoritative, go-to voice for dietetics and will have a strong influence where it matters, across the UK and within each of the four nations.
We want to have people, agile systems and processes and connections in place to support growth, to give voice to our diverse workforce and in order to make a healthy diet accessible to all.
By 2034 BDA members will have:
- A driving force for policy change within health and food across UK Government, Parliament and their devolved equivalents.
- A robust network of stakeholder relationships within all national legislatures across the UK.
- A comprehensive public affairs campaign plan that engages members, legislatures and the general public on our key issues.
- Influence and information to shape the debate around issues of workforce, food and health.
- A dietetic workforce that reflects and is connected with the wider public and decision makers to make a healthy diet accessible to all.
- A greater profile at dedicated conferences and events promoting the dietetic workforce and their role.
By 2027 we will deliver:
- A clear policy and position statement development process that engages with member expertise.
- A clear process for endorsement of policies, position statements and resources that are presented to the Government.
- Strong relationships with legislatures and key stakeholders in UK Government, Westminster and the devolved equivalents.
- A Parliamentary reception focused on at least one of the BDA’s public affairs campaigns.
- An established voice in the wider food arena regarding the importance of cooking skills within communities to support the general public in effecting changes towards a healthier diet.
- A clear public engagement plan that sets out how and why we will work with the public.
- Progress on each of the five public affairs campaigns: free school meals, workforce strategy, national food strategy, NHS Pay, and prescribing rights. Members will be actively engaged in campaign activity.
- A clear process for responding to calls for evidence, consultations and other policy requests.
- A clear process to connect our members with key stakeholders, influencers and other organisations aligned to our strategy.
- A process which members understand as a route for influencing.
- Updated guidelines for ‘Working with breast milk substitute manufacturers’ to support members working in baby-friendly initiative (BFI) accredited settings.
- Clarity in how specialist groups engage with the public affairs and policy functions and a list of members to draw from for parliamentary evidence sessions.
- Tools and support to engage with the general public to share positive messages around food and nutrition.
- A strong evidence-based voice in the media, with greater specialist group support.
- A thriving community of a hundred active BDA accredited ‘Work Ready’ dietitians supporting workplaces across the four nations.
- An updated external event strategy which identifies the key activities to attend, and with clear aims for our attendance at each event or activity.