Nutrition and Dietetics

Our acute (seriously ill) Dietetic service is largely ward based; we work to improve the nutrition of inpatients and support the management of unwell patients who are being treated for cancer, stroke, surgery, elderly care, intensive care.

Food first has always been at the forefront of nutritional guidance, and we are able to advise, support and educate the various ways in which your diet can be tailored to be healthier and nutritious according to your needs. As a hospital based team we encounter many nutritionally compromising conditions where more specialist dietetic input is required. This can range from education of ward based staff to supporting your loved one to get sufficient nutrition at a time when they may be unwell and less able to eat. We support the promotion and compliance with the inpatient malnutrition screening tool, we have a strong focus on enablement and support the wards by advising on the provision of food, drink, fortified foods, oral nutritional supplementation (fortified food and drink which can be prescribed) and alternative feeding methods.

In the community we deliver outpatient clinics and visits to patients homes and care homes providing oral nutrition support and enteral feeding support/guidance to service users. Offering the continuity of care they need once they leave hospital, or supporting service users with chronic conditions to make dietary changes to optimise their treatment, rehabilitation or long term quality of life. We work in a variety of healthcare professionals from the following services: stroke, cancer, neurology, elderly care, respiratory and sexual health.

Paediatric dietitians working across the acute and community services with babies, children and young people. Our Paediatric Dietetic team strongly aligns with the Allergy and Diabetes multidisciplinary teams; we also provide a service to the acute Paediatric wards at Sandwell and support patients, parents and carer’s with home enteral tube feeding and with feeding challenges in the young. We work across a variety of settings including Outpatient Clinics, Schools and homes of patients and are often involved in the best interests meeting processes to support the nutritional needs of a child.

Our community service is based at Victoria Health Centre and our acute paediatric dietitians work across City and Sandwell Hospitals.

Our Diabetes Dietitian’s work within the Diabetes healthcare professionals, supporting patients with insulin therapy, carbohydrate counting and lifestyle improvement. We usually see patients with diagnoses of gestational diabetes, Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes (on triple therapy). We run outpatient clinics and support the Think Glucose Team.

Our nutrition nurses work across the acute and community settings and they support our compliance with a variety of National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) alerts. Our nutrition nurses play an essential role with training and education in both the hospital and community setting supporting the insertion, management and safety aspects related to feeding tube devices and parenteral nutrition.

Our team work closely with the Nutricia Nursing service to support the ongoing care of patients in hospital and at home.