Making the best use of a hospital Dietitian

This review seeks to explore the change and expansion in roles and responsibilities experienced by acute unit based paediatric dietitians over the past decade. The conventional role of providing advice to patients on a one to one basis following individual referral from a medic has been expanded to include extended cross discipline roles within hospital specialities, greater involvement in nutrition strategic development, best practice and higher degree level nutrition education on a local, regional and national level and closer involvement in the transformation of nutritional care provision across the health care setting. This reflection seeks to illustrate how the innovative use of dietitians can be used to increase both the effectiveness and efficiency of nutrition support services within the financial constraints of the present health system.