Dietetic work is undertaken in a wide variety of NHS settings. The range of settings and methods of delivery have increased, partially in response to the Covid 19 pandemic, since the original 'Safe Staffing Safe Workload' document was produced.
Patient /service user focused work is undertaken in settings which include:
- acute: hospital wards and outpatient clinics
- community: community clinics, care homes, hospices, patients’ own homes, day care services, schools, or prison services.
- public health
- mental health services: inpatient and outpatient services
- freelance
- home-based and remote working
Many dietetic posts are in the acute, community, primary care or mental health settings; primary care is not NHS employment in England but is in Scotland and Wales. Some dietetic staff work in a combination of acute and community settings within the same day or week. Dietitians are also employed in other NHS settings such as medicines management, public health roles, catering and procurement and may have more strategic job profiles rather than clinical caseloads. Others may include teaching and research within their remits.
Regarding NHS staff, job planning has now re-categorised workplace activities. In addition to direct clinical care (both to individual patients and other important non-patient clinical activities), supporting professional activities are recognised as an integral part of a dietetic workload. These activities include education and training of staff and students, management duties, supervision of others and clinical governance activities. These activities, together with one’s own continuing professional development (CPD), appraisals and practice supervision are also key elements of dietetic roles and must be included when reviewing or developing both posts and dietetic services.
The settings in which registered dietitians (RDs) work within the NHS are very varied, methods of service delivery have increased since the 2015 survey and the supporting professional activities undertaken by RDs is well recognised within job planning.
Group education sessions, both in person and virtually, are now widely used as a way of delivering dietetic education and care to a group of patients with the same nutrition and dietetic diagnosis, for example diabetes, weight management and Coeliac disease.