Simon Fevre is Trade Union Chair and Clinical Lead Dietitian for the Older Peoples Services at Fife Health and Social Care Partnership. Simon was the recipient of a BDA Fellowship in 2023.
We asked him about his work and what this honour means to him.
What does it mean to you to receive the Fellowship honour?
I feel extremely lucky to have been honoured in this way by my professional association of which I have been a member for 38 years. It is humbling to know that I was nominated by colleagues and that what I have done for the profession and Trade Union is appreciated in this way. Looking back at the previous recipients it has many of the dietitians that I looked up to when I started out and that fills me with great pride.
What drove you to become a dietitian in the first place and be where you are today?
My mother was a nurse and my brother is a physiotherapist so we have always had a leaning towards the caring professions. I visited Norma Lauder’s Dietetic Department in Doncaster in 1980 and from then on wanted to do nothing else. I started Queen Margaret College in 1981 and got my first NHS job immediately after qualifying in 1985. I have worked for the NHS since that time and it is the ethos of the organisation which drives me on today.
Who inspires you?
No one individual has inspired me dietetically but the NHS as an institution continues to be a key driver in my work. I am a trade unionist at heart and our founding members, who had real struggles to achieve fairness and equality in the workplace in very difficult times, are inspirational in taking that forward in the current work environment.
What advice would you give to future dietitians?
Always, no matter how long you have been working as a dietitian, reflect on the situations you find yourself in. Be self-aware, particularly on the impact of your interventions and conversations on your patients and your colleagues. Don’t lose the desire to care and always be kind.
What has been the highlight of your dietetic career to date?
Everyday working with patients has been hugely rewarding dietetically but to be elected as the Employee Director for NHS Fife in 2001 and sit on Fife Health Board for seven years was a huge honour. I am also very proud of the BDA Scottish Employment Relations Committee that I helped set up after Scottish Devolution and have been a member of ever since, much of that as the Chair of the group. We have set a standard for the BDA Employment Relations Committees and that has been because of the commitment and enthusiasm of our Scottish BDA TU representatives.