Dietetics and Nutrition at Great Ormond Street Hospital

Dietetics and Nutrition

Welcome to the homepage of the Dietetic Department.

Why would a child be referred to us?

Why is good nutrition important?

We provide a comprehensive service to inpatients and children who attend outpatient clinics with disorders where dietary intervention and nutritional support can treat the child's disorder or its effects.

For those patients who are referred to us we would:

assess the need for dietary management
translate this into dietary advice that is understandable and manageable for the child and their carers
assess the child's growth and nutritional requirements
ensure that their prescribed diet and feed meets their needs for growth and development.

In addition we are involved in:

teaching nurses, medical staff and other healthcare professionals about nutrition
giving advice to dietitians at other hospitals about the treatment of rare conditions e.g. metabolic disorders
developing written resources for families and healthcare professionals
providing media comment on topical issues about childhood nutrition to give a balanced view
nutrition-related research to improve patient care
giving expert advice on nutritional matters to outside organisations.

Why would a child be referred to us?

We see children with a wide range of disorders that may cause:

delayed growth
poor oral intake
inability to swallow
increased requirements for energy (calories) and nutrients

The underlying condition may be:

organ dysfunction e.g. renal failure or gut malabsorption
metabolic disorders
cystic fibrosis
cancer
heart conditions
surgical procedures
food allergy
a need for intensive care

Some children may not be able to eat and drink normally and need tube feeding (enteral) or intravenous (parenteral) nutrition. These children may require referral to the dietitian.

Why is good nutrition important?

promotes health, growth and development
decreases susceptibility to infections
decreases risk of complications in the sick child
there is also evidence that a good diet in early life may protect against diseases in adulthood e.g. stroke, heart disease and some cancers

About the Department?

There are 25 dietitians (22.85 wte) who work in one of 4 clinical teams headed by a Principal dietitian. Specialist dietitians rotate through the clinical teams as part of their training.

Dietetic assistants support the clinical work of the Dietitians. Administrative support is provided by the office administrator and the clerical assistant.

The Dietetic Department has two production units:

the milk room prepares special therapeutic feeds for infants and children
the diet kitchen prepares therapeutic diets and 'clean meals' for children after bone marrow transplants.

The production units are staffed by diet technicians and managed by the diet services manager.

Normal working hours are 9am - 5pm

There is an on-call service on weekends and Bank Holidays: 9am - 1pm (telephone service only)

Current vacancies in the department

Education and training