“Key Achievements” section
- Established and developed successful specialist dietetic services across acute hospitals and private practice.
- Built multidisciplinary partnerships with consultants, GPs, psychologists, specialist nurses and allied health professionals.
- Led specialist nutritional services in oncology, diabetes, eating disorders and sports nutrition.
- Delivered postgraduate research into nutrition, bone health and performance in elite athletes.
- Developed education and training programs for healthcare professionals and multidisciplinary teams.
- Currently practicing within the NHS as a First Contact Dietitian and have completed Stage 2 First Contact Dietitian training.
Leadership and Management
Alongside delivering specialist dietetic services, I established and managed successful private dietetic practices across several hospital sites in South Africa. As the practices expanded, I recruited, employed and developed registered dietitians to meet increasing demand and ensure continuity of high-quality patient care.
My responsibilities included:
- Recruiting and interviewing dietitians.
- Inducting and mentoring newly appointed staff.
- Providing clinical supervision and professional support.
- Developing staff skills across a range of specialist clinical areas.
- Delegating clinical responsibilities and managing workloads across multiple hospital sites.
- Maintaining high professional standards and fostering a culture of collaborative, patient-centered care.
- Building strong multidisciplinary relationships with consultants, surgeons, GPs, nursing teams, psychologists, pharmacists and catering services to deliver integrated nutritional care.
Service Development and Leadership
Over more than 25 years, I established and developed successful hospital-based dietetic services across several private hospitals in South Africa. Starting with no existing dietetic provision, I built sustainable services by developing referral pathways with consultants, surgeons and general practitioners, demonstrating the value of dietetic intervention and embedding nutrition within multidisciplinary patient care.
As patient demand increased, I recruited and employed registered dietitians, providing induction, mentoring, clinical supervision and ongoing professional development to ensure consistently high standards of care.
I was responsible for the operational management of the practices, including workforce planning, allocation of clinical workload across hospital sites, maintaining professional standards, developing relationships with hospital managers and clinical teams, and ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of the service.
These leadership roles required strategic planning, sound business management, excellent communication and the ability to influence a wide range of stakeholders while maintaining a strong focus on delivering safe, evidence-based and patient-centered care.
Professional Leadership
- Founder Member of the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA), contributing to the establishment and development of the national professional body for dietitians.
- Established and developed hospital-based dietetic services across multiple acute hospitals in South Africa, creating sustainable multidisciplinary services where no dietetic provision previously existed.
- Recruited, mentored and developed registered dietitians, fostering high standards of clinical practice and professional development.
- Completed an MSc in Nutrition with research focusing on the dietary intake, energy availability and bone health of apprentice jockeys, demonstrating a commitment to evidence-based practice and innovation. Activity or employer Skills developed and/or Knowledge demonstrated Relevance to current application
