Nutrition and Dietetics Services
How we can help you
What you eat and drink plays a critical role in keeping you healthy and also in the management of many diseases.
Our department can help you if you have complex nutrition needs and if changes to your diet can help you to manage your medical condition. We care for people in our hospital and outpatient clinics with the following conditions:
- Poor nutrition intake/malnutrition
- Swallowing problems (dysphagia)
- Tube feeding
- Kidney conditions
- Pre and post gastrointestinal surgery
- Gastrointestinal problems such as coeliac and Chron’s disease
- Cancer.
We do not provide services for the following conditions:
- Diabetes – people requiring consultation with a Dietitian for Diabetes can be referred to the Prince of Wales Hospital’s Diabetes Centre or contact 9382 4600
- Overweight or obesity - please visit NSW Health 'Get Healthy' Program on www.gethealthynsw.com.au
- Eating disorders - for general information and treatment services please visit the Institute for Eating Disorders on https://insideoutinstitute.org.au/
- Allergies.
Dietitians are health professionals who can help you to manage your medical condition/s by:
- assessing your nutrition status and diet and
- providing you with information and support to help you make changes to your food intake.
We do this in collaboration with your GP or your specialist. To access our services you will need a referral from your GP or specialist.
You will need your GP (local doctor) or specialist to write you a referral letter to use this service. We provide outpatient appointments for people who live in Randwick, Botany and Waverley and who have any of the medical conditions that are listed above.
Your referral letter must explain your medical history, relevant test results and what medicines you are taking. Please ask your doctor to fax us this referral letter then we will call you to make your first appointment.
Can I choose the day and time I attend for my appointment?
We don’t have clinics or appointments available each day. Our clinic days and time are limited to just a few set days and times each week. We will discuss options with you to try and find a time that suits you and your family and carers to attend.
You may need to wait up to 3 months for an appointment to see a dietitian. If your doctor thinks you need an urgent appointment they need to telephone us to discuss your needs.
Please bring:
- Your referral letter from your GP
- Your Medicare card
- The letter that we send to you to confirm your appointment as this will have the details of exactly where to go. You can show this letter to the staff on the Information Counters if you need help once you arrive at the hospital.
- You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you, especially those involved in the preparation of your meals.
- If you have received any diet charts or information in the past it will be helpful to bring these to your appointment.
- Please review the conditions we care for above to see if your patient is eligible to use our service.
- Please complete a referral and fax this to our department on 02 9382 2347
- If you would like to discuss our services please call us on 02 9382 2880
Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us by telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.
We are a teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.