The Macmillan Dietetic Service supports people with who are living with and beyond cancer, who have nutritional concerns as a result of their diagnosis. The service supports people registered with a North Somerset GP or under the care of a Consultant at Weston General Hospital.
The Macmillan Dietetic Service offers individual person centred care, tailored to individuals needs. This can include:
1. Supporting the achievement of an optimum nutritional status:
• Minimising nutritional losses
• Maintaining or improving strength and energy
• Minimising significant weight gain associated with certain medical treatments
2. Supporting the management of symptoms and side effects including:
• Weight loss and poor appetite
• Gastrointestinal complaints e.g. taste changes, sore and dry mouth, altered bowel habit
• Anxiety related to nutritional intake
3. Supporting the required dietary changes after certain medical procedures including:
• Bowel resection
• Gastric surgery
• Oesophageal stent insertion
4. Supporting health and wellbeing after cancer:
• Providing current, evidence base information
• Supporting a healthy diet and lifestyle for the secondary prevention of cancer
• Facilitating behaviour change to help people challenge their barriers to positive diet and lifestyle changes
5. Supporting quality of life and reassurance in palliative and end of life care:
• Supporting informed decision making regarding nutritional management
• Reducing patients and relatives / carers anxiety about nutritional concerns
Individual consultation locations include:
• Weston General Hospital wards
• Weston General Hospital Dietitian’s outpatient clinic
• Weston General Hospital Oncology and Haematology Day Unit
• Home visits if people are registered housebound or are very unwell
The service is involved in group sessions training and education session for:
• Health and wellbeing events
• Cancer support groups
• Health professionals involved in cancer care
• Volunteers involved in cancer care
Referrals to the service
1. Referrals are accepted from GPs, Consultants and Specialist Nurses. A Macmillan Dietetic Service Referral Form should be completed so we have all the relevant information
2. Self referrals can be made by calling the service. The self referral process takes around 10 minutes
Team members
• Sian Russell, Macmillan Specialist and Acute Team Lead Dietitian
• Richard Westhead, Macmillan Dietetic Support Worker
• Macmillan Dietitian
Contact details
Macmillan Dietetic Service
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics
Weston General Hospital
Grange Road
Uphill
BS23 4TQ
Tel: 01934 636363 extension: 3554
Email: sian.russell@nhs.net