Our Services A - Z - Dietitians
About the service
The Dietitians and Dietetic Assistants for Whiston and St Helens Hospital are based in the Therapy Suite, Yellow zone – Level 1, Whiston Hospital. We provide a service to in-patients at Whiston Hospital and St Helens Hospital and out-patients (under the care of a Consultant Gastroenterologist, Endocrinologist or Paediatrician in Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust).
For more information about our Therapy Services please follow this link.
The dietitians provide nutrition assessment and support for patients within specialist areas including:
- Paediatrics
- Paediatric Diabetes
- Diabetes
- Gastroenterology
- Nutrition Support (including tube feeding and total parenteral nutrition)
- Stroke
- Surgery
- Bariatrics
- UGI Cancer
- Contact Details
Core working hours are 8am-4pm
Tel: 0151 430 1201
- British Dietetic Association’s Food Fact Sheets
Below is a link to the British Dietetic Association’s Food Fact Sheets. Please note that these fact sheets are for information only and are not a substitute for proper medical diagnosis or dietary advice given by a dietitian.
- What is a dietitian?
Dietitians are uniquely qualified and regulated health professionals that use up-to-date, scientific, nutrition information to treat and/or manage illness and nutritional problems. They can work in a variety of settings including the NHS, community services, private clinics, catering or industry.
Dietitians have the only legally recognised graduate qualification in nutrition that is registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC). All dietitians are regulated by the HCPC. The HCPC exists to protect the public. Dietitians are one of 13 healthcare professions regulated by the HCPC, which ensures rigorously maintained standards of training, professional skills, behaviour and client safety. The HCPC publish a register of dietitians and other health professionals who meet their standards. Only those on the Register can call themselves dietitians. Verification can be achieved by checking the Dietitians Register on the HPC website www.hpc-uk.org.
What is the difference between a dietitian and nutritionist?Registered Dietitians (RDs) are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritional problems at an individual and wider public health level. Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be regulated by law, and are governed by an ethical code to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. Minimum requirement is a BSc Hons in Dietetics, or a related science degree with a postgraduate diploma or higher degree in Dietetics. All courses require a period of supervised practice including NHS settings, where an individual must demonstrate clinical and professional competence before being eligible to apply for registration. The title ‘nutritionist’ is not a legally protected title. Some nutritionists may have attended degree level courses in nutrition. Upon qualification, many may register as nutritionists (RNutr) or as public health nutritionists (RPHNutr) with The Nutrition Society, these are voluntary registrations. However, there are some who will not have any recognised qualification or registration. Registered Nutritionists are qualified to provide information about food and healthy eating, but not about special diets for medical conditions.
Page last updated on 10th October 2024