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What is a HIV Specialist Dietitian?

At The Food Chain, we have two HIV Specialist Dietitians on our staff team. This is what gives us our specialism – we are the only HIV nutrition charity in the UK – and this is why the services we provide are so much more than just food.
 
So what is a HIV Specialist Dietitian, and why is it important?
 
Dietitians are a key part of NHS multi-disciplinary teams working to care for people living with HIV. Since the advent of effective antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV, the role of the dietitian has changed from one primarily focused on nutritional support of acutely unwell patients, to one supporting healthy lifestyle choices and therapeutic dietary interventions to enable and facilitate long and healthy lives. The skill set and competency of dietitians working in HIV care has had to change accordingly, with dietary intervention required in a range of conditions and co-morbidities from malnutrition and cancer through to obesity and diabetes. 
 
At The Food Chain, we work with those people living with HIV who are disproportionately affected by social, structural and economical inequalities. Our dietetic approach therefore needs to be flexible and person-centred, and we spend a lot of time learning about the context of our Service Users’ day-to-day lives in order to provide appropriately tailored interventions. We also need to work closely with colleagues in NHS primary care to provide holistic and effective support for individuals who are vulnerable. 
 
HIV related stigma and prejudice is still a significant barrier to people living with HIV seeking care, engaging with treatment and making decisions about their wellbeing. By delivering a service that compliments expert advice and guidance with the practical provision of food, we are in a strong position to open meaningful dialogue and gain a fuller understanding of the complex barriers our Service Users are facing. Conversations about and over food are a great place to start to build trust – and over time, this trust allows The Food Chain to support our Service Users towards living a truly healthy independent life. 
 

We have three nutrition specialists on our staff team. Luke and Lucy are our HIV Specialist Dietitians and Ornella is our HIV Specialist Associate Nutritionist. But this expertise isn’t limited to our staff team – our incredible volunteer Nutrition Assistants deliver nutrition talks every Saturday at Eating Together. All are qualified Dietitians or Nutritionists with a wealth of expertise. We have a team of Dietetic/Nutrition students in our office, helping us complete grocery orders for our Service Users. We also host students from London Metropolitan University and King’s College London for 3 week Public Health placements, and their involvement in research, review and project work means we have fresh new perspectives regularly.

Our Dietitians Luke and Lucy are both members of the British Dietetic Association and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council. Ornella is a Registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition. They all conduct regular peer supervisions, attend specialised CPD events and receive clinical supervision from the UK’s only Consultant HIV Dietitian. They also have their respective areas of particular interest – you can’t keep Luke away from a renal case, and Lucy can’t get enough of gout!

All of this brainpower translates into tailored practical interventions for our Service Users, which we endeavour to make as accessible as possible. Our nutrition factsheets are available in multiple languages, large print and in audio format. We have recipes designed by and for those with a wide range of cultural dietary preferences, and our world food versions of the “Eat Well Guide” provide helpful guidance.

One Service User recently told us: “The Food Chain has changed my life. I feel happier now. I did not have food to eat before this and I was stressed and depressed. I now eat more healthily and I have lost some weight. It has helped me take my medication because I need food to take it and I did not have any food. It is a very good service. I use the recipes that you gave me to make healthier food.”

If you’d like to learn more about nutrition, there’s plenty of information and resources available on our website.