GI Sub Group Committee
Chair
Sarah Richards, Registered Dietitian
Sarah graduated from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh in 2012 with a BSc (Hons) in Nutrition. She then worked as a Dietetic Assistant and progressed her studies further in Cardiff where she obtained a PgDip Dietetics in 2015. In 2018, Sarah completed her MSc in dietetics focussing on “Does dietetic input reduce or prevent hospital readmissions in a cohort of emergency unit patients”. This was the first retrospective cohort study of this nature to be published within the UK and Ireland.
Sarah has had a keen interest in oncology, particularly Upper GI and head and neck cancer. During her career, she has led on multiple service improvement projects and has actively set up new services within oncology.
In her current role, Sarah has successfully led the implementation of Upper GI services within Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB which gained funding in September 2021. She has developed posters and presented her findings at local and national conferences.
Sarah is a member of the BDA oncology subgroup and also chair of the AHP section for the Wales Cancer Network Upper GI CSG.
Contact: [email protected]
Secretary
Emily Button, Specialist HPB Dietitian
Addenbrooke’s hospital, Cambridge
Emily graduated from the University of Nottingham and since 2011 has been working at Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge. She is a HPB Specialist Dietitian and leads the team providing dietetic support to both oncology and benign HPB patients. A significant part of her clinical caseload involves supporting patients with pancreatic cancer from the point of diagnosis and throughout their treatment pathway.
She is the secretary for this BDA subgroup and enjoys the opportunity this provides to network with oncology dietitians working at different hospitals over the UK. She was involved in the group’s scoping project looking at dietary advice given following oesophageal stent placement across the UK.
She is also an active member of the Nutrition Interest Group of the Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (NIGPS) and has previously presented at the Pancreatic Society annual meeting. She has developed national patient information leaflets on behalf of the group and also been involved in a multi-centre service evaluation looking at weight loss and nutritional intervention in severe acute pancreatitis.
Emily has been very involved in helping to embed the practise of bile reinfusion at Addenbrooke’s. She has developed resources to help other local hospitals to gain confidence in this area, such as a patient information leaflet, on-line teaching resources and regional guidelines.
Contact: [email protected]
Events Officer
Helen Webster, Oncology Team Lead - Dietetics
Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
My name is Helen Webster, I'm the team lead for the oncology dietitians in NHS Tayside which cover Dundee, Perthshire, North Fife and Angus in North East Scotland. I have 18 years experience working in Upper GI and HPB oncology and around 20 years oncology experience in total.
I am a non medical prescriber which allows me to prescribe pancreatic enzymes for my patients as well as other supportive therapies.
I represent the BDA Scotland board at the Scottish Government Cross Party Working group for cancer which I attend every 8 weeks.
I regularly present at events representing our profession and my specialism such as the UK oesophagogastric Cancer Meeting, Pancreatic Cancer UK Events, Cancer Research UK events, guest presenter at The Robert Gordon University Dietetics course, Scotttish National UGI Cancer Education day amongst others.
I attend various national groups in Scotland such as the Prehabilitation Implementation Group, Scottish NMP RD's group and regularly chair the North Cancer Alliance Nutrition Group with Dietitians from across Tayside, Grampian and Highlands.
I am looking forward to planning events with the GI subgroup to bring learning opportunities to everyone involved with GI Cancers.
I look forward to working with the GI committee.
Social Media Officer
Ciara O'Brien, Upper GI and HPB surgical Dietitian
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Ciara graduated from Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2021. She started working as an Oncology Dietitian in Velindre Cancer Centre, Cardiff covering the inpatient ward and drop-in clinic. Since June 2022, she has been working as an Upper GI and HPB surgical dietitian in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.
Cardiff is the tertiary centre for upper GI surgery in South Wales and Ciara supports these patients post surgery throughout their admission and also supports local patients once they have been discharged. Ciara is also currently developing the HPB dietetic service for Cardiff and Vale in order to better support patients with HPB cancers as well as severe pancreatitis.
Ciara is currently the social media officer for the subgroup.
She has presented at the Pancreatic Cancer UK Dietetic Management and Pancreatic Cancer annual webinar twice. Within her health board she is currently working on projects regarding chyle leak management as well as HEF for patients post resection.
Web Editor
Michele Kee, UGI Oncology Dietitian
Sussex Cancer Centre, Brighton
Michele graduated in Robert Gordon University in 2021, and she started her dietetic career as a rotational acute Dietitian at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. Currently she works as an Upper GI Oncology Dietitian at the Sussex Cancer Centre, which is her first oncology dietetic role. Her favourite part of the job is being able to support her patients throughout their cancer pathway, using evidenced-based information. She joined the GI subgroup in 2024, and decided to volunteer as she would like to network and learn from the other committee members.
Member
Gina Giebner, Rehab Dietitian and Macmillan pelvic radiotherapy late effects specialist DietitianThe Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow.
Gina is an advanced specialist oncology dietitian with over 20yrs of experience in dietetics. Gina has and currently works in a number of areas of oncology, specialising in gastrointestinal cancers. Gina has completed Masters level training in gastrointestinal side effects from cancer treatments both during and long after treatment.
MDT contributor/co-author on the 2025, British Society of Gastroenterology practice guidance on the management of acute and chronic gastrointestinal symptoms and complications as a result of treatment for cancer. https://gut.bmj.com/content/74/7/1040
Gina currently works part time as an NHS Macmillan dietitian and has a private freelance practice (The Rehab Dietitian). Gina works as an expert volunteer advisor for PRDA (Pelvic radiotherapy disease association).