Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical Lead Dietitian

The closing date is 14 January 2026

Job summary

Working Part time: 18.75 hours per week

We are seeking an experienced and dynamicBand 7 Dietitianto lead our specialist nutrition support service for critically ill and surgical inpatients. This is an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled dietitian with advanced knowledge ofcritical care, perioperative nutrition, and parenteral nutrition (PN)to shape and drive high-quality nutritional care across complex clinical areas. In this senior role, you will provide expert dietetic assessment and management for patients requiring PN and complex enteral feeding within ICU and surgical wards. You will work as an integral member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing specialist advice that informs clinical decision-making, optimises nutritional status, and supports improved patient outcomes. You will provide clinical leadership for the dietetic team, supervising junior staff, supporting student training, and promoting a culture of evidence-based practice. The postholder will also lead on service development, audit, and quality improvement initiatives, ensuring safe, effective, and patient-centred nutrition pathways. Strong communication, autonomy in clinical reasoning, and confidence in managing highly complex nutrition support cases are essential. If you are passionate about advancing dietetic practice in critical care and surgery, and keen to influence and develop a specialist service, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

Your application should include details of your recent clinical experience including any areas of specialism. We also require details of your qualifications, CPD, and registration.

The successful applicant will be expected to travel between the two main hospital sites (The Countess of Chester Hospital and Ellesmere Port Hospital) and carry out home visits as needed. You will be involved in our diabetes MDT clinics (which run in the evening twice per month), deliver level 3 carb counting education and provided structured education for families.

About us

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:

  • The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds
  • Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility
  • Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.

The Trust employs over 5916 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 411,000. This includes 361,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.

Details

Date posted

06 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

210-2025-863

Job locations

Countess of Chester Hospital

Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1UL


Job description

Job responsibilities

See Job Description for further details.

Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application.

Job description

Job responsibilities

See Job Description for further details.

Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

Good luck with your application.

Person Specification

Qualification

Essential

  • Degree in nutrition and dietetics or equivalent
  • Evidence of post graduate training to masters equivalent level
  • HCPC registration
  • Relevant student training course or qualification

Desirable

  • Membership of professional body and specialist interest group

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post graduate experience with experience of working at an advanced level
  • Sound evidence of CPD and reflective practice
  • Sound knowledge of current best practice specific to specialist area
  • Knowledge of professional ethics and their application in practice
  • Knowledge and application of the principles of clinical governance
  • Sound knowledge and understanding of health, safety and risk management
  • Sound knowledge and understanding of health, safety and risk management

Skills

Essential

  • Evidence of being able to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues on a 1-2-1 basis or within a group setting
  • Evidence of group working and team working
  • Supervisory skills and/or first line management experience
  • Evidence of audit and/or research work
  • Evidence of the implementation of policies and the potential review of policies
  • Evidence of an ability to maintain a service level agreement or equivalent financial initiatives
  • Understanding of professional ethics and their application in practice
  • Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance
  • Evidence of participation in health, safety and risk management
  • Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance and that of others
  • Ability to organise and respond to complex information, and work under pressure
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft package or equivalent
  • Standard key board skills
  • Able to align to trust the trust culture (our vision, our values, our behaviours)
Person Specification

Qualification

Essential

  • Degree in nutrition and dietetics or equivalent
  • Evidence of post graduate training to masters equivalent level
  • HCPC registration
  • Relevant student training course or qualification

Desirable

  • Membership of professional body and specialist interest group

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

  • Substantial post graduate experience with experience of working at an advanced level
  • Sound evidence of CPD and reflective practice
  • Sound knowledge of current best practice specific to specialist area
  • Knowledge of professional ethics and their application in practice
  • Knowledge and application of the principles of clinical governance
  • Sound knowledge and understanding of health, safety and risk management
  • Sound knowledge and understanding of health, safety and risk management

Skills

Essential

  • Evidence of being able to communicate effectively with patients and colleagues on a 1-2-1 basis or within a group setting
  • Evidence of group working and team working
  • Supervisory skills and/or first line management experience
  • Evidence of audit and/or research work
  • Evidence of the implementation of policies and the potential review of policies
  • Evidence of an ability to maintain a service level agreement or equivalent financial initiatives
  • Understanding of professional ethics and their application in practice
  • Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance
  • Evidence of participation in health, safety and risk management
  • Ability to reflect and critically appraise own performance and that of others
  • Ability to organise and respond to complex information, and work under pressure
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft package or equivalent
  • Standard key board skills
  • Able to align to trust the trust culture (our vision, our values, our behaviours)

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Countess of Chester Hospital

Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1UL


Employer's website

https://www.coch.nhs.uk/working-with-us.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Countess of Chester Hospital

Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1UL


Employer's website

https://www.coch.nhs.uk/working-with-us.aspx (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Team Leader

Kirsty Capper

kirsty.capper@nhs.net

01244366581

Details

Date posted

06 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year pa pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

210-2025-863

Job locations

Countess of Chester Hospital

Liverpool Road

Chester

CH2 1UL


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)