Hannah Bentley, East Cheshire NHS Trust

Why did I choose to become a dietitian? I was looking for a job that would bring variation, the ability to meet with lots of new people, work as part of a team and number one help people and feel I was making a positive difference to people’s lives. I had a love for food and nutrition, always enjoyed practical cooking and baking and was keen to keep healthy.

When my A-level Home Economics teacher suggested becoming a dietitian I hadn’t even heard of a dietitian but I very quickly after shadowing a dietitian and reading up on the British Dietetic Association thought it sounded a good fit for me.

My role is to support those patients living with obesity for 5 years or more referred by their GP wanting Bariatric surgery. The strict criteria of the specialist service must be met, and I work with patients to help them meet these so they can proceed with a gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy operation to help them to loose weight.

Patients are often involved with service for 1 to 2 years, in which time I have regular contact with them helping to educate and support with diet and lifestyle changes. Alongside medical nutrition therapy the focus is on lifelong positive changes that ensure that a positive outcome is achieved if they have bariatric surgery.

I run mindful eating and satiety courses online and provide regular talks on bariatric surgery with surgeons on the team that all patients must attend. I also identify and refer patients to our psychology group sessions or for 1:1 psychology input.

I am part of a multi-disciplinary team who meet regularly to discuss each patient in the service and agree plans action.

I have been lucky that I have been a dietitian at East Cheshire NHS Trust for 18 years this summer! I started with a full-time acute role in 2004 straight after finishing my 4-year degree in Dietetics at Queen Margaret University College. I initially worked covering wards where I would have referrals from many patients requiring nutritional support.

I have also worked in Cardiac Rehabilitation providing specific advice following heart attacks, working with patients whilst they are admitted to a coronary care ward and then also going out to leisure centres to talk to groups about heart-healthy diets.

I discovered that I most enjoyed  working in the community rather than on acute wards so I became a General Practice dietitian providing dietary advice to patients on a variety of areas from weight management, diabetes, and food allergies to nutritional support. It was helping support educate and motivate patients to make life long dietary changes that would make a real difference to their lives that I enjoyed and so I specialised in weight management.

12 years on I still work in weight management. I enjoy managing a case load of over 100 patients providing weight management support as well as working to continually improve the quality of the service. I work as an autonomous practitioner moving the recent pharmacological weight management service forward while delivering excellent quality patient care.