Camille Newby

Camille has worked in the NHS as a dietitian for twenty years, mainly specialising in inherited metabolic disease. Since 2014 Camille has been the South West Regional Dietetic lead for inherited metabolic diseases. Over the last five years Camille has successfully completed her nonmedical prescribing and Advance Practitioner qualifications. Camille presents nationally and internationally and is one of the module leads for the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Module 4: Dietetic Management of Inherited Metabolic Disease, which is part of the MSc in Advance Professional Practice in Paediatric Dietetics at Plymouth University.  

The evolving role of the metabolic dietitian within the changing NHS

It has been recognised that changes to the National Health Service (NHS) workforce are required to be able to continue providing excellent patient care and retain employees. Career progression has been identified as a key aspect of staff retention and satisfaction, and this can be achieved by enabling staff to develop their clinical expertise and expand their scope of practice through the development of Advanced Practitioner (AP) roles.

Healthcare workers practicing at the level of an AP, are educated to the degree of a masters and will have the skills, knowledge, and experience to work autonomously and have the ability to make complex decisions. The incorporation of AP roles for Allied Health Professionals (AHP) has been linked with improved patient experience, addressing workforce shortages, service restructure, and job satisfaction. The AP dietitian is a supported and recognised career progression by the British Dietetic Association (BDA) recognising the experience and skill set dietitians bring to the evolving NHS.  

An AP demonstrates the ability to work autonomously applying a high degree of knowledge and skills to manage complex situations and apply advanced problem-solving skills to find innovative solutions.  These skills are not only applicable to the clinical area of their role but must be evidenced in the areas of leadership, education, and research. This talk will aim to give an overview of the role of the AP dietitian in practice and the potential benefits to service users and metabolic centres across the UK.