Job summary
- Main area
- Dietetics
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 15 hours per week
- Job ref
- 430-CC26-1120
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Dietetics (Dept)
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £49,387 - £56,515 Per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 06/09/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 16/09/2026
Employer heading
Lead Dietitian, Food First
Band 7
At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.
MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).
Our benefits
We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:
- Free on-site parking including EV charging
- Complimentary refreshments
- Flexible working arrangements
- Discounted gym membership
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
- Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
- On-site nursery (charges apply)
- A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
- VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing
Job overview
Food First Lead Dietitian
Department: Nutrition & Dietetics
Band 7, £49,387 - £56,515 Per annum pro rata
Hours: Part time, 15 per week, all MKUH roles will be considered for flexible working
Are you an experienced Community Dietitian ready to take the next step in your career?
We have an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and motivated individual to become joint lead of our Food First and Prescribing Support Dietetic Service in Milton Keynes.
'We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute'
Please note: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.
Interview date: 16 September 2026
Main duties of the job
You will jointly lead (with another B7 Dietitian) a small, dedicated team comprising a Dietitian and a Dietetic Assistant Practitioner, collaborating closely with colleagues across Bedfordshire and Luton.
This role is ideal for a dietitian with substantial community experience and a passion for service development and leadership. You’ll bring strong communication, time management, and teamworking skills, along with the flexibility to adapt in a fast-paced environment.
You’ll be part of a vibrant department based at Milton Keynes University Hospital, home to over 30 registered dietitians, dietetic support workers, and admin staff. Our service spans acute, community, paediatric, and learning disability care.
We pride ourselves on our collaborative culture, excellent support systems, and commitment to professional development. We also host student placements from the University of Surrey, Oxford Brookes University and University of Hertfordshire
What we offer:
A forward-thinking, friendly team environment
Strong admin and assistant support
Access to CPD and leadership development opportunities
Support from a dedicated Therapy Practice Education Team
Working for our organisation
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a “Good” rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre. We have just opened the Oak Wards - a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards.
Further investment is underway, including the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.
Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -
For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
NHS Staff Survey: Allied Health Professionals experience a high diverse and equal work environment, supporting this with 8.33 out of 10. .
To provide clinical and managerial leadership to the Food First team by working collaboratively with other Lead Dietitians and the Dietetic Service Lead.
To plan and co-ordinate the day-to-day provision of Food First team
To provide leadership and oversight for the care home programme which works with all care homes for older people to meet and maintain the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) regulation 14 (meeting nutritional and hydration needs) and Enhanced Health in Care Homes (EHCH) priorities.
Please refer to attached Job description for further information.
We believe success lies in the diversity of our employees and are committed to promoting equality, encouraging diversity, and embracing inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us.
MKUH is committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and as such we offer a range of flexible working practices.
We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once enough applications have been received.
MKUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of MKUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.
By applying for this role, you accept if successful, that information from your application will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system. Your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which aims at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers.
Upon commencing employment with the Trust, all employees (except Medical & Dental Staff on national terms and conditions) are subject to a probationary period lasting a period of six months with an option to extend for a further six months to a total of 12 months.
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Registered as a Dietitian with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Evidence of a range of specialist continuing professional development
- Member of relevant specialist interest group (Relevant to area of specialty)
- Student Supervisory Skills training
- Level 7 Qualification in Nutrition Support or equivalent experience
- Awareness of NHS and Trust systems, policies, procedures and current changes
- Sound therapeutic and clinical knowledge
- Ability to demonstrate knowledge and awareness of national guidelines relevant to specialist area
- Ability to demonstrate knowledge of evidence based clinical practice for a range of conditions relevant to area of specialty
Desirable criteria
- Membership of relevant professional association i.e. British Dietetic Association (BDA)
- Management or leadership training or qualification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant experience in applying therapeutic processes include assessment, interpretation, individual care planning, motivation, monitoring and evaluation of highly specialised treatment in area of specialty
- Experience of working with patients in relevant specialist area
- Active member of multi-disciplinary team (MDT) including liaison with clinical specialists, GP, specialist nurses, community teams etc.
- Supervision, appraisal and training of junior members of staff and students
- Ability to autonomously manage a caseload of highly complex patients
- Ability to undertake projects within specialist area e.g. using NICE guidance, benchmarking and clinical audit
- Ability to lead and participate in departmental audits and review of Trust Policy
- Proven leadership experience in relevant clinical specialty or similar clinical field
- Experience in service development /improvement, including project planning from objective setting to evaluating outcomes
- Experience of organising and providing training for other health professionals
- Experience of developing and implementing clinical guidance
- Knowledge and understanding of wider issues facing the NHS
- Understanding of national strategies and policies relating to nutrition, health and social care as relevant to the post.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Proven time management skills
- Ability to remain flexible when organising and prioritising own clinical and non-clinical caseload
- High level of written and verbal communication including report writing skills
- Advanced skills in the assessment and treatment of patients in relevant clinical area
- Ability to present and teach information to junior and assistant staff and students as part of an in-service programme
- Ability to maintain accurate, comprehensive, and up to date documentation, in line with legal and Trust standards.
- Ability to appropriately apply a range of treatment approaches
- Ability to problem-solve and to demonstrate clinical reasoning based on experience and knowledge.
- Skills in planning, delivering and evaluating dietetic services
- Ability to work with and understand complex data sets to support evaluation and service development.
Personal and people development
Essential criteria
- Experience of managing and developing junior and assistant staff
Desirable criteria
- Experience of using HR policy and procedure including sickness absences and performance management
- Knowledge of change management principles
Communication
Essential criteria
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence others
- Competent in the use of IT including proficiency with emails
- Ability to deliver sensitive information in a tactful and empathetic manner
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Liz Pryke
- Job title
- Dietetic Service Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
For informal enquiries please contact: Liz Pryke - Dietetic Service Lead, [email protected]
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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