Dietitian

You'll translate the most up-to-date scientific and public health research about nutrition into practical advice to help people make health-conscious decisions about food and lifestyle.

You will use your skills to treat a range of complex clinical conditions such as:

• chronic fatigue
• diabetes
• eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
• food allergies and intolerance
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• kidney failure
• malnutrition.

You will also help to prevent illness and disease, promote good nutritional health, and support people to improve their health through diet and nutrition.

Dietitians are a key part of the healthcare team and work in settings such as hospitals, community health services, public health and private practice. They are the only nutrition professionals statutorily regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

What does a dietitian do?

When working in a hospital or community setting, you'll:

• undertake nutritional assessments of patients with a range of complex medical conditions
• educate and advise patients with diet-related disorders on how to improve their health through appropriate lifestyle and food choices
• devise, monitor and review nutritional care plans
• deliver group sessions to patient groups
• run clinics in hospital outpatients departments or GP surgeries
• record assessments and interventions, write reports and case notes, and maintain accurate patient records
• work with a multidisciplinary team (including GPs, hospital consultants, psychologists and speech and language therapists) to ensure patient-centred care
• liaise with hospital staff and external agencies to support patients transitioning from hospital to community care so they can continue to receive support
• educate other healthcare professionals about food and nutrition issues
• promote health and wellbeing by raising public awareness of diet and nutrition
• undertake research in nutrition to better understand its effects on health and disease.

With experience, you may be involved in training and mentoring pre-registration students, as well as supporting and supervising less experienced staff.

If you're working with athletes and sportspeople, you'll need to:

• advise on how diet can optimise their performance and recovery from injury
• educate them to understand the physiology and biochemistry of different types of exercise and the role nutrition has in these processes.

In other roles, you may be involved in developing new food products and evaluating their nutritional content, monitoring clinical trials, or advising the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Dietitian salaries

• Starting salaries for qualified dietitians working in the NHS range from £32,073 to £39,043 (band 5 of the Agenda for Change (AfC) Pay Rates).
• Salaries for dietitians at specialist level (band 6) range from £39,959 to £48,117. At advanced dietitian and dietetic team manager level (band 7), you can earn between £49,387 and £56,515.
• Salaries for roles such as consultant dietitian, divisional lead, advanced clinical practitioner or head of dietetics can range from £57,528 to £91,609 (bands 8a to 8c).

High-cost area supplements are available for roles in and around London.

Salaries outside of the NHS vary depending on the type and size of your employer, the nature of the work, and your skills and experience.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

What hours do dietitians work?

Working hours in the NHS are typically 37.5 per week. Elsewhere, you'll usually work 9am to 5pm but may need to work extra hours at times. Some roles, particularly in hospitals, may include occasional weekend or rota-based work.

Depending on your role, you may have opportunities for flexible or hybrid working, particularly in community, public health or research settings, although clinical roles are often based on site. Job sharing, part-time work and career breaks may be possible.

If you're self-employed, your hours will need to suit your clients' availability and may include evenings and weekends.

How do I become a dietitian?

To practise as a dietitian in the UK, you must be registered with the HCPC. To achieve this, you need to complete an HCPC-approved undergraduate or postgraduate degree in dietetics. Courses are also accredited by the British Dietetic Association (BDA).

To get a place on an undergraduate dietetics degree (three or four years), you'll usually need two or three A-levels or equivalent, including biology and often chemistry or another related subject, plus GCSE passes (or equivalent) in English and maths.

Entry requirements for the two-year postgraduate course (Postgraduate Diploma or Masters) include a relevant degree, often a 2:1 or above, with a sufficient level of human physiology and biochemistry. Relevant subjects include:

• biochemistry
• biological sciences
• health sciences
• human biology
• human nutrition or nutritional science
• physiology
• sport and exercise science.

All routes are full time and combine academic study with supervised placements in hospital or community settings. It's also possible to qualify through a dietetic degree apprenticeship, combining paid work with university study.

Entry requirements vary between courses, so check with providers for details. You'll also need occupational health clearance and a criminal records check. For a list of qualifying courses, search HCPC - Approved Programmes.

All eligible pre-registration dietetic students studying in England can receive funding support of at least £5,000 per year. You don't have to pay it back and are still able to access tuition fee funding and maintenance loans from the Student Loans Company. For more information, see Health Careers.

For details of financial support in other countries of the UK, see Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), Student Awards Services (Wales) and Northern Ireland Direct Government Services.

Entry without an approved degree or postgraduate qualification is only possible at dietetic assistant or support worker level. Your employer may support you in studying for an approved degree to then become a dietitian.

Key skills for a dietitian

You'll need to have:

• effective communication skills to carry out nutritional assessments and explain complex ideas clearly to patients
• interpersonal skills to build relationships with patients, parents and carers, and support them to make positive changes to their diet
• the ability to manage a caseload and prioritise patients based on their needs
• analytical skills to interpret complex nutritional information and turn it into practical advice tailored to individual needs
• the ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team to deliver coordinated patient care
• IT skills to maintain accurate patient records and use digital systems.

You may also need a driving licence and access to a car to travel to patients' homes or between hospital sites.

Where can I get dietetics work experience?

Try to arrange a visit to a dietetic unit at your local hospital before applying for a course. This will give you an idea about what the work is like and whether it would suit you. You could also get some work shadowing, voluntary or paid work experience.

Working as a dietetic assistant practitioner or as a dietetic support worker provides valuable insight into the role and shows your commitment. Experience in care work, with a nutrition-related charity or as a healthcare assistant is also useful.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Who employs dietitians?

The NHS is a major employer of dietitians, with many working in hospitals, GP surgeries, health centres and community settings. Roles are also available in the private healthcare sector.

Outside the NHS, dietitians work for a wide range of employers, including local authorities, prisons, care homes, schools and universities, research organisations, and government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Opportunities also exist in the food and drink industry, pharmaceutical companies, public relations, and media and publishing, as well as in specialist areas such as sport and elite training environments. Some roles involve advising on food and health policy at local or national level.

With experience, you may work as a freelance dietitian or set up in private practice. If you want to work abroad, you'll need to check registration requirements with the relevant professional body in that country.

Look for job vacancies at:

• HealthJobsUK
• NHS Jobs and the websites of individual hospitals and NHS trusts.
• NHSScotland Jobs

Job vacancies are also available to BDA members via their newsletters.

Specialist recruitment agencies such as Pulse and Your World Healthcare also advertise vacancies.

Where can a career as a dietitian lead?

Career progression in the NHS typically follows a structured pathway from newly qualified Band 5 to Band 6 specialist roles. It's then possible to move into Band 7 advanced or management roles, with opportunities to progress to senior positions such as consultant dietitian or service lead (Band 8). Progression depends on experience, further qualifications and specialisation.

You may specialise in areas such as diabetes, gastroenterology or oncology, or work with specific groups such as children, older people or athletes. Opportunities also exist to move into management, research, teaching, public health or industry.

Some experienced dietitians move into freelance work or private practice, offering flexibility to shape their careers.

Undertaking continuing professional development (CPD) is essential to maintain HCPC registration and support career progression. Membership of the BDA provides access to training, events, conferences and special interest groups. For more details, see BDA - Continuing Professional Development. You can also undertake post-registration postgraduate study and develop skills in leadership, management, mentoring and teaching to help further your career.