The BDA is the professional association and trade union for dietitians

10 and 11th June 2013
BDA Vision is designed for dietitians in a leadership and/or managerial role, and will focus on how dietitians can influence and shape their working environment. This event includes the BDA Annual General Meeting and Awards Ceremony.

Find out more about the BDA Vision and register today - www.bdaevents.org.uk.

11th and 12th October 2013
BDA Live...where science and nutrition meet

The BDA is delighted to announce the creation of an exciting new event to match three simple yet significant aims: ‘create, excite, innovate.’

BDA Live promises to be a dynamic, unique and inspirational event for BDA members. Find out more about the BDA’s new flagship event and register today - www.bdalive.org.uk.

The Role of Dietitians

Registered Dietitians (RDs) are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems at an individual and wider public health level. Uniquely, dietitians use the most up to date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease, which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be statutorily regulated, and governed by an ethical code, to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. Dietitians work in the NHS, private practice, industry, education, research, sport, media, public relations, publishing, NGOs and government. Their advice influences food and health policy across the spectrum from government, local communities and individuals.

The title dietitian can only be used by those appropriately trained professionals who have registered with the Health Care Professions Council and whose details are on the HCPC web site. We have a leaflet that explains the roles of nutrition professionals further.

BDA Media Coverage

The BDA Press Office Media Hotline has now changed to 0800 048 1714.

Finding a Dietitian

The title dietitian can only be used by those appropriately trained professionals who have registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and whose details are on the HCPC web site. We have a leaflet that explains the roles of nutrition professionals further.

Most people will be able to see a Registered Dietitian within the NHS after being referred by an NHS GP, doctor, health visitor or other medical staff. Contact the Dietetic Department at your local hospital to enquire whether they operate a ‘self-referral’ system. Consultations with dietitians within the NHS are free.

Alternatively if you wish to see a Registered Dietitian who practises privately, you can search on-line for a dietitian near you at the Freelance Dietitians web site, which is run by the BDA's Freelance Dietitian Group.

New Malnutrition Guide for UK will Save Lives and Tens of Millions of Pounds Each Year

A brand new guide was launched on 9th May 2013 called Preventing and Early Intervention of Malnutrition in Later Life (best practice principles and implementation guide).

The guide, jointly produced by the British Dietetic Association and the Malnutrition Task Force, sets out and defines the principles of best practice, the moral, legal, quality and financial case for changes in tackling malnutrition in people in later life in the UK. Read more about the malnutrition guide.

How’s your gut feeling?  It’s time to listen to your gut instinct!

Do you suffer from diarrhoea, prolonged fatigued, bloating, abdominal pain, vomiting, IBS or unexplained anaemia?  

You may have Coeliac Disease. The BDA is proud to be supporting Gut Feeling Week (13 – 19 May 2013), which aims to raise awareness of the symptoms and improve diagnosis of Coeliac disease in the UK.

Healthy Start vitamins can no longer be sold by NHS organisations
(from April 2013 - England only)

The regulations which cover the sale of Healthy Start vitamins – ‘Sale of Goods for Mothers and Children (Designation and Charging) Regulations 1976’ do not support organisations within the Health and Social Care system.

This means that NHS organisations (including Children’s Centres) that had previously sold Healthy Start Vitamins can no longer do so, and if vitamins are provided to those outside the scheme, they should be free of charge.

Changing legislation will take time.  In the short term dietitians should be making the case to their commissioners for funding to cover the cost of supplying these vitamins for free until the situation is resolved. Read more about Healthy Start vitamins.

Channel 4's Secret Eaters

British Dietetic Association media spokesperson, Lynne Garton, is currently on Channel 4’s Secret Eaters programme every week at 8pm on Thursday.

The BDA has helped develop part of Channel 4’s scrapbook page about the show.

Visit the Channel 4 scrapbook and learn more about Secret Eaters and the BDA.

New BDA policy statement

Now available is the new policy statement Complementary Feeding: Introduction of solid food to an Infants Diet (2013), written in conjunction with the BDA Paediatric Specialist Group. This replaces the Weaning statement.

This BDA Policy Statement provides a framework for the provision of consistent advice on complementary feeding (weaning) within Department of Health (DH) Guidelines. It provides a brief overview of emerging evidence and current debate and includes recommendations for weaning of both the healthy, and the pre-term infant.

The BDA Food Fact sheet on Weaning has been updated (May 2013).

Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition: on-line

Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition is a unique and dynamic resource developed by dietitians for dietitians in order to deliver evidence-based guidance to nutrition practice questions. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) is a collaborative member of the Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition (PEN) alongside Dietitians of Canada and Dietitians of Australia and New Zealand.

The unique PEN resource, usually costing £300, is available to BDA members of as part of their annual subscription, and the BDA is working closely with the PEN Team to build and develop the UK content. PEN subscriptions are available for purchase by non-members.

Developed by Dietitians of Canada with input from thought leaders in nutrition and dietetic practice, knowledge translation and technology, its powerful search tools and 'Knowledge Pathway' format are designed to deliver evidence-based guidance to nutrition practice questions as well as providing easy links to nutritional tools and resources for clients and professionals.

Read more about PEN ...