Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Macmillan Dietetic Support Worker to join our dietetic team working in the Department of Therapies and Dietetics within a purpose-built cancer and surgical centre at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.



This role will support the department to deliver high quality care to cancer patients being treated under the Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) dietetic service. The post holder will work as an integral part of the oncology dietetic team.



We are very excited about this post, as it will positively contribute to the delivery of excellent dietetic care to this patient group. You will receive training and support in this new role to help develop the skills needed to support patients and the team.



If you are interested in this role and feel you meet the criteria, please take the time to contact us (contact details below) to discuss the role further.



To support the management and care of oesophagogastric cancer patients before and after surgery under the direction of a registered dietitian by



Gathering patient information to support dietetic assessment

Screening and review of patient's nutritional status and intake

Providing dietary counselling and education to patient and carers

Completing administrative tasks including drafting clinical letters, registering patients for home enteral feeding service, onward referrals to other services

Triaging calls and referrals to the OG dietetic service

Signposting to appropriate services and supports

Contributing to service development, audits, and quality improvement.



Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.



Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.



We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.



These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel .

Clinical Responsibilities:

To actively assist Dietitians in information gathering and performing routine measurements, such as PGSGA-SF, hand grip strength, sit to stand and dietary intake and symptoms to assess patient's nutritional status. To screen and review nutritional status and oral intake of non-complex patients, raising referrals to Dietetics or other disciplines as appropriate. To demonstrate knowledge and expertise in the use of Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) for OG patients following surgery. To negotiate and implement appropriate nutrition support interventions, e.g. additional snacks, meals and supplements as appropriate in liaison with the dietitian. To action GP letters requesting ONS and enteral feed using templates under supervision of the Dietitian . To help with the organisation of feeding pump training, registration of patients on Nutricia MyConnex, electronic patient records (EPR), completion of handover forms to community staff, dietetic and nursing colleagues, and to ensure that patients have supplies of enteral tube feed and/or nutritional supplements and ancillaries for safe hospital discharge and facilitate continuity of care . To help with management of tube fed patients, ensuring they have adequate stock of feed and ancillaries at home. This involves liaising with Nutricia MyConnex and directing patient queries. To use encouragement, reassurance and sensitivity to support patients in overcoming barriers and achieve mutually agreed goals. To support patient's in understanding their post-surgery diet with provision of diet literature, under guidance from the Dietitian. After training, to provide dietary advice for patients before and after insertion of an oesophageal stent. To become competent to teach patients to flush and care for feeding tubes to support the day case tube pathway. To become competent to provide pump training to patients to facilitate rapid discharges and avoid discharge delays. After training, to triage incoming telephone calls from OG patients, relatives and carers, liaising with Upper GI MDT members as required. For example, to liaise with the surgical team in order to organise re-suturing of jejunostomy feeding tubes or communicate feeding tube complications. To participate in learning and development opportunities, to develop additional skills and/or competencies required to perform role and to attend education and learning events offered by Macmillan Cancer Support. To promote and provide Macmillan and local sources of patient information, including signposting to Maggies Cancer Information Centre and the Oxford patient support group (OOSO). To help with patient experience feedback data in order to identify OG Dietetic Service development needs . To be available to arrange urgent feed deliveries from the hospital site in response to patient demand.

Policy Awareness/Implementation:

To be aware of, adhere to, and implement relevant Trust and Departmental policies including, but not limited to:



'Optimising Nutrition and Hydration Care for All Patients' policy, Trust guidelines mandating maintenance of high quality, up-to-date and accurate clinical records, Data protection guidelines regarding safe and appropriate use and communication of patient information amongst the MDT, Health and Safety, Infection Control and Moving and Handling guidelines and corresponding mandatory training, Trust incident reporting and risk management procedures.

Personal and Service Development:

To identify training needs and facilitate learning for personal development, To attend relevant education and training in order to maintain up-to-date skills including Macmillan educational events To work collaboratively within the MDT to evaluate current practice and care pathways with the overarching aim of improving patient care and efficacy of interventions, To participate in implementation of service/Trust clinical governance plan To participate in clinical governance/audit activities, including collecting and analysing data, to allow the timely compilation of reports and appropriate recommendations To provide peer support and cover to other Dietetic Support Workers and Dietetic Assistants To be involved in the induction of newly employed members of the OG and Dietetic teams and training of less experienced staff (including students), including demonstrations of daily duties and provision of practical training, With support, to devise a Personal Development Plan/Portfolio documenting yearly objectives orientated to reflect personal, service and Trust aims.

Freedom to act:

To be accountable for own professional action and recognise professional boundaries, accessing supervision when required. To understand how and when to seek support from supervisors. To organise and prioritise own daily tasks with reference to priorities of the UGI and Dietetic teams. To abide by relevant Standard Operating Procedures. To work independently on specified tasks, with supervision from a Dietitian/Ward Manager at pre-determined intervals and access to appraisal within an Individual Performance Framework.

Physical, Mental and Emotional Skills:

To be able to work a flexible work pattern, requiring effort and concentration over several short/long periods. To work flexibly and be able to adjust to the constantly changing demands of a fast-paced ward. To be competent in use of IT services, including Email, Intranet, Excel and Electronic Patient Records. To utilise 'Moving and Handling' training to safely move feed and feeding equipment. To be sensitive to the cultural and religious needs of patients. To have well-developed coping strategies to deal with distressing/challenging circumstances, for example seeing cancer patients who have received a diagnosis or upsetting information earlier that day. * To be able to cope with unpleasant working conditions (i.e. awareness of how to appropriately deal with exposure to bodily fluids as per Infection Control guidelines).