Dietitians Week Report 2017 The British Dietetic Association's Dietitians Week was established in 2014 to highlight the work and worth of dietitians and continues to be an annual awareness raising week. It is an opportunity to promote positive messages about nutrition to counter the fads and pseudoscience that unfortunately continues to garner shares and column inches. The theme this year was Evidence and Expertise, highlighting the importance of an evidence-based approach to nutrition whilst showing that dietitians are the best placed interpreters of nutrition evidence. The Dietetic and Adult Weight Management Service staff across Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, as always, embraced Dietitians Week with enthusiasm and passion. Staff actively took part in promoting the week through numerous activities. We had display boards in each hospital site some with great freebies!
We fully engaged on national social media and had very successful locally driven social media campaigns such as #RandomActsOfDietetics. The BDA were so impressed with this campaign that they are going to use it as a national campaign / movement and would like to continue it beyond RDW2017. 93 dietitians and invited guests including Alison Shakeshaft, Executive Director of Therapies, Dave Williams Divisional Director of Family, Therapies and Lance Reed Clinical Director of Therapies, Sue Bale Research & Development Director, Janet Kelly Head of Occupational Therapy & Bronagh Scott Director of Nursing (to name a few) attended a very successful, inspiring and enjoyable Dietetic Governance Day.
We had a range of presentations from staff that have pioneered in developing and improving services excelled at collaborative working and have contributed to the evidence base of our profession. Peter Carr, Assistant Director of Therapies awarded two prizes for poster presentations. Congratulations to Stephen Thomas, Counsellor in the Adult Weight Management Service on winning 1 st prize for his poster on the Emotional Eating Programme. Peter said this was an excellent example of identifying a problem through evidence and then coming up with a solution through evidence. 2 nd prize went to the Public Health Dietetic team for their Evidence and Expertise poster which Peter said was a good example of collaborative working by sharing our expertise as health professionals to community workers to pass on important information.
Other achievements identified during the day were: Development of the Diploma in Dietetic Support which will be used Wales wide written under guidance of Jayne Lavin, Lead for Education and Training All resources for Qualification for Dietetic Support Workers written by specialist project team under Nutrition Skills for Life Management The practice supervision programme has been enhanced and expanded All areas of the service involved in the new student training programme. 26 dietetic student delivered placements in 2016 Rhian Booth and Claire McCluskey both completed their Masters and Elaine Hibbert-Jones, Karen Mahon, Rachel Knowles, Julie Morris and Jo Males completed Masters modules Ewan Smith achieved PGCE (Post Compulsory Education and Training) Elaine Hibbert-Jones, Catherine Jones and Lisa Owens have all had work published and Lisa also had a poster presentation accepted for BAPEN Conference 2016 Lisa Owens, Judy Davies, Nutricia Nurses & Catherine Jones have been shortlisted for CN (Complete Nutrition) Awards and The Geoff Simmonett Commitment to Patient Care Award Lucy Morgan appointed Chair of BDA Critical Care Group Sian Taylor is working with the CAMHS Dietitians UK group to become a specialist group within the BDA and chaired the their recent in Birmingham and Northampton meetings Caroline Bovey is Chair Elect for BDA will become chair in June 2018 and has chaired successful year of Wales board of BDA
Caroline received British Empire Medal and attended ceremony with Cardiff Lord Lieutenant to receive BEM from HMQ and attended celebration garden party at Buckingham Palace SEREN Structured Education Sessions for Children with Diabetes produced for Wales Development of BDA food fact sheet for Type 1 diabetes (jointly produced by Gill Regan and Elaine Hibbert-Jones) Diabetes Club (6 week education and fun programme for 10 year olds) organised and run by Laura Osborne and members of Paeds Team Eating Well and Keeping Active and Diabetes Sport - Diabetes resources updated CAMHs and AWMS new band 5 rotations CAMH s now working with the Intensive Treatment Programme in Ty Bryn Day unit. ABUHB is 100% compliant with the All Wales Menu Framework (Lyn Clarke) It s fair to say that ABUHB s promotion of Dietitians week grows from strength to strength each year and this year was the best Dietitians Week yet. A massive thank you to all involved, without you it simply wouldn t happen.