Dietitian service at Parkside Hospital

Why see a dietitian?

There are many reasons why you may decide to see a dietitian. You may ask for specialist advice about your diet to achieve a specific goal. Your GP or consultant may also refer you to a dietitian. This could help you manage current symptoms or the side effects of any treatment.

Our dietitian can work with you on a one-to-one basis or as part of the wider health team at Parkside Hospital. For example, the dietitian can help you to improve your health and lifestyle if:

• you suffer from digestive problems
• you have been diagnosed with a medical condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, coeliac disease or HIV
• you want or need to lose weight in a safe and sensible way
• you need to put on weight after being unwell or as a result of a medical condition
• you are considering surgery to lose weight
• you want to improve your athletic performance or general fitness level
• you want advice about breastfeeding and weaning
• you want to maximise your chances of becoming pregnant
• you think that you have an allergy or intolerance to a certain food
• you are a carer and want practical advice to make sure that the person you look after has a healthy diet.

What issues can a dietitian help with?

Our dietitian can help with many different issues:

• Cancer: We have a specialised dietitian service for people living with cancer. The dietitian can give you advice on healthy eating to strengthen and support your body before, during and after cancer treatment. A balanced diet can help to prevent inflammation, improve your body’s defences and reduce the risk of cancer returning when your treatment is finished.
• The risk of malnutrition: The dietitian can help to prevent malnutrition, where your diet does not contain the right amount of nutrients. They can give you tips to deal with loss of appetite or early satiety (feeling full after only eating a small amount of food).
• Digestive problems: The dietitian can help you to manage digestive issues, such as:
  • acid reflux (when stomach acid travels up towards the throat)
  • bloating
  • diarrhoea or constipation
  • dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing)
  • fatty liver (a build-up of fat in the liver)
  •  food allergies and intolerance
  • irritable bowel syndrome (a common condition that affects the digestive system)
  • kidney or liver failure
  • malabsorption (when your body cannot digest or absorb enough nutrients from food)

• Weight management: The dietitian can support you to reach a healthy weight for your height (body mass index or BMI).
• Diabetes: The dietitian can help you to control your blood sugar levels through a balanced diet. This can lower the risk of complications from Type 1 or 2 diabetes.
• Cardiac (heart) health: If you have heart disease or are at risk of getting it, the dietitian can give you healthy eating advice. This can help to protect your heart and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Respiratory (lung) health: If you have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (a lung condition that causes breathing difficulties), the dietitian can guide you on suitable food choices. This can help to improve your respiratory health.

About our dietitian

Our dietitian is registered with the Health Care and Professions Council and the British Dietetic Association (the professional body for UK dietitians).

Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals who are regulated by law and governed by a professional code of conduct. This ensures that they follow high-quality standards when treating all patients under their care.

What type of advice can a dietitian give me?

The dietitian can give you useful recommendations about your diet that are based on up-to-date evidence and best practice guidelines. Their advice is always tailored to your personal needs.

Our dietitian can:

• give you advice about evidence-based nutritional guidelines
• recommend a specific diet to help you manage a condition and complement your treatment
• listen to your goals and work with you to make a personal nutrition care plan
• help you to understand the evidence and myths about diet
• help to relieve the symptoms of digestive problems
• help you to gain or lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way
• support you with healthy eating to prevent heart disease

What treatments can a dietitian offer?

There is increasing awareness that a healthy diet is vital to keep well and prevent disease.
Although there is a lot of nutritional information on the internet, it is not always based on scientific evidence. This can make it difficult to choose the best possible diet.

Dietitians have the professional knowledge and skills to give you practical guidance based on reliable research. You can then make positive diet and lifestyle choices to help improve your health and wellbeing.

Dietitian appointments are tailored to your individual medical needs. The dietitian gives you advice to achieve your personal nutrition and lifestyle goals.

How do I book an appointment with the dietitian?

If you would like to see the dietitian at Parkside Hospital, you need to check whether this is covered by any private medical insurance. Otherwise, if you are paying for your own treatment, an initial appointment with the dietitian costs £100 and a follow-up appointment costs £45.

To book an appointment with the dietitian at Parkside Hospital, please telephone 020 8971 8000 or complete the form below.

We may ask you to complete a three-day food diary and bring this to your appointment. If you cannot visit our clinic, we can arrange a telephone appointment with the dietitian.

In some cases, we may contact your GP or consultant before or after your appointment. We can make them aware of our advice to you and check that we have all the information needed to give you the best care.