You might benefit from seeing a dietitian for a variety of reasons, including if:
- you suffer with digestive problems
- you have been diagnosed with a medical condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, Coeliac disease, HIV, renal impairment etc.
- you have oral, enteral or parenteral nutrition requirements
- your child has specialised nutritional requirements
- you are wanting or needing to lose weight in a safe and sensible way
- you are considering surgery to lose weight
- you need to put weight on following a spell of ill-health or as the result of a medical condition
- you think you have an allergy or intolerance to a certain food
Out Patients
We have a number of different specialist dietetic teams who run outpatient clinics across our hospital and community sites.
If you would like to see a dietitian as an outpatient your GP or hospital Consultant will need to refer you.
If you have any questions about the process or want to follow up a referral that has been made please call us on 0121 424 2673.
In Patients
All patients in hospital are screened for malnutrition on a weekly basis. This includes a weight and height assessment, looking at any history of weight loss, current appetite, food intake and ability to eat independently. Any patient who falls into the ‘high risk’ category for malnutrition will be referred to a dietitian for nutritional advice and support.
The food and drink intake of patients are monitored by the ward staff and patients who are of concern will have additional support put in place and be monitored more closely.
If family members have any concerns about their relative’s eating and drinking they should report this to the nurse or doctor in charge of their relatives care in the first instance. If those concerns are on-going please contact us on 0121 424 2673 for further advice.
After discharge from hospital
If you have been seen by a dietitian during your hospital admission and given special dietary advice you may be given some information to take home with a contact name and phone number to use if you require further advice or follow up. In addition you may be referred onto one of our other teams if this is appropriate, such as diabetes, weight management, or a Community Dietitian.
