Dietetics  Department

We help children who have a condition where a special diet is used as part of their treatment. 

We also liaise with other departments in the hospital e.g. catering, speech therapy and pharmacy on matters relating to nutrition.

The dietitian will:

• Assess children carefully, to identify the most appropriate dietary management.
• Take into account the child’s age, height and weight, feeding ability, family and religious considerations.
• Develop a treatment plan and explain it to the child and their parent, providing advice on how to carry out the plan at home.
• Arrange provision of the special diet in hospital
• Work closely with GOSH  consultants and other health professionals
• Monitor the child's growth and development, to ensure that the prescribed diet meets their needs

We see children referred from any speciality seen here at GOSH including:

• Respiratory
• Haematology and oncology
• Bone marrow transplant (BMT)
• Immunology and infectious diseases
• Cardiology
• Neurodisability and  neurology
• Gastroenterology
• Surgery, orthopaedics and urology
• Metabolic medicine
• Endocrinology
• Ear, nose and throat (ENT), cleft palate, plastic surgery, craniofacial, dental and maxillofacial surgery
• Rheumatology and dermatology (including Epidermolysis Bullosa)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Ketogenic diet for epilepsy
• Nephrology 

Diet therapies

We provide specialist advice is provided for a wide range of therapeutic diets e.g. nutrition support to improve growth, advice to ensure a nutritionally balanced diet for children with allergies and food intolerances, inherited metabolic disorders, vegan diets, fat modification and weight control. This could include a range of feeding methods, from oral nutrition to the different types of tube feeding.

The Dietetics Service

Inpatients

The specialist dietitians that work with each medical team have responsibility for the International and Private Care Inpatient wards.

Outpatients

We have a dietitian dedicated to the International and Private Care Outpatient service who holds weekly clinics in Caterpillar Outpatients.

In addition to this we also have specialist dietitians who will see children with their consultant, or alternatively an appointment outside the regular weekly clinic time will be arranged.

Referral

We accept referrals from GOSH Consultants only.