Dietitian’s work alongside Paediatricians, Community Children’s Nurses, Health Visitors, School Nurses, Child Development Centres, Speech and Language Therapists and any other staff who may be involved in the care of children.

The service covers most areas of paediatrics, including:

· Enteral feeding

· Faltering growth/Nutritional support

· Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy

· Allergies

· Coeliac disease

· IBS/FODMAPs

Dietetic care is delivered on both of the hospital sites, Bassetlaw District General and Doncaster Royal Infirmary in both inpatients and outpatient areas. Children and young people who have a feeding tubes are seen on site, in their educational placement or at home.

For children and young people with complex medical issues, it is common for the dietitian to be present in their appointment with the paediatrician.

Accessing the service

Completion of the referral form “Referral for involvement of the paediatric dietetic service” or a consultant clinic letter are accepted methods of referring into the service. Paediatric Dietetics Request for Involvement Form

Referrals are accepted from:-

· Consultant Paediatricians

· GPs

· Health Visitors

· Specialist Nurses

If at triage the child or young person has been identified as not being eligible to access the Paediatric Dietetics Service, the source of referral is notified in writing.

The main reasons for not accepting a referral are:

– Living outside the Doncaster and Bassetlaw area and do not have a Doncaster and Bassetlaw GP

– Limited evidence of meeting threshold for intervention

– Requests for support for weight management

– Fussy eating in the absence of faltering growth

– Children with a diagnosis of avoidance restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

– Outside the age range for the service

– Children on their 16th birthday and older who are attending a mainstream school

– Children on their 19th birthday and older who are attending a special schoo

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