Chair - Jennifer McCracken BSc (Hons)
PGCert Healthcare Practice (Cancer care), PGCert Palliative Care
Jennifer has worked as a Specialist Oncology Dietitian for more than 14 years, and at the Royal Marsden since 2014. She works clinically with people living with and beyond cancer. Her research interests include palliative care, complex decision-making and improving experience for people with advanced cancer and their carers. Jennifer undertook an RM Partners Pan London Research Fellowship and was the lead researcher of the INPUT study (Information Needs around Parenteral Nutrition in cancer). She also completed a Predoctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship supported by Health Education England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research in March 2024. Jennifer has been part of the Palliative Care Subgroup committee since 2014 and a is member of the NIHR Cancer and Nutrition Collaboration, Nutritional care in people living with and beyond cancer workstream.
Claire Irlam. BSc (Hons)
Macmillan Dietitian, Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
I have been working as a specialist palliative care dietitian within a community multidisciplinary team for the last five years. Within this role I support service users with a variety of life-limiting conditions, including different cancers, to optimise their nutritional status and quality of life. I also provide training regarding nutrition as well as advance care planning to staff and carers in the community who provide end of life care. I am particularly passionate about effective multidisciplinary working and promoting the value added to service users by dietitians and other allied health professionals. I pride myself upon providing holistic person-centred care and aim to reduce the effects of health inequalities.
I also have experience within acute clinical settings as well as in written media, qualitative research and mentoring university students. I previously sat on the committee for the West Midlands branch of the BDA as well as chairing the North West and North Wales branch. I enjoy being a part of the palliative care subgroup committee as I like to contribute to shared learning and development for our dietetic specialism.
Emma Atkinson. Msc Dietetics
Advanced Oncology Dietitian, Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
Emma has been a Registered Dietitian since 2005, having worked as a Macmillan Dietitian at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust since 2009. Her current role is as a Band 7 Advanced Oncology Dietitian.
Emma’s clinical caseload includes oncology patients from all tumour groups and treatment intent, including a caseload of oncology home enterally fed patients. With a proportion of her clinical caseload including palliative care, she has developed a strong interest in nutrition and palliative care, including cancer cachexia.
Emma is also registered internationally with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; holding dietetic registration in both the UK and USA. Having a love for education, Emma has delivered several podcasts and national webinars relating to nutrition and oncology.
Dr Anne Holdoway
Anne is a Consultant Dietitian based in the Southwest of England. Over a 40-year career Anne has specialised in a host of clinical areas including gastroenterology, oncology, intensive care, neurology, and chronic diseases including COPD and connective tissue disorders. Utilising clinical knowledge and business skills, she has led on the redesign and development of clinical services to better meet the dietetic needs of patients.
In 2014, Anne took on a part-time position in palliative care to develop a dietetic service for patients who had incurable cancer. Struck by the neglect of nutrition along the cancer pathway, Anne chose to focus her doctorate research on nutrition in palliative care which centred on understanding the role and value of nutrition from a patient and carer perspective. As a result of the research, Anne led on the development of a nutrition assessment tool, training, and resources, for use in community settings to help members of the healthcare team identify and manage diet-related issues in those affected by incurable cancer.
Today Anne has a portfolio of work combining teaching, research, direct patient care and consultancy work for the medical nutrition industry. Through publications, speaking at national and international events and hosting webinars and podcasts, combined with her role as Editor for Complete Nutrition and as Clinical Director of the ‘Malnutrition Pathway’ Community Interest Company (CIC), Anne strives to promote the role and value of nutrition in healthcare. Her contribution to nutrition and dietetics has been recognised through several national awards including a Fellowship of the BDA and the BAPEN John Lennard Jones Medal.
Francesca Tabacchi
Francesca is a registered oncology dietitian and lecturer with a specialist interest in the prevention and early identification of malnutrition in cancer. She recently completed her PhD at Oxford Brookes University, where her research focused on improving nutritional care pathways for people living with and beyond cancer. Francesca has held clinical posts across several NHS Trusts, most recently at the Churchill Hospital (Oxford University Hospitals), where she worked as a Specialist Oncology Dietitian. She is actively involved in both national and international professional networks. She is passionate about giving voice to the lived experiences of people with cancer and has delivered presentations at national and international conferences on nutrition in oncology and palliative care. Francesca continues to collaborate on research and public engagement projects focused on empowering patients and improving access to timely, evidence-based nutritional care.
Anna Pallot
Macmillan Specialist Oncology Dietitian, Jersey, Channel Islands
Anna has over four years of experience working in oncology. She supports patients throughout their journey—from diagnosis to end of life care. She has a strong interest in palliative care and the ethical considerations surrounding nutrition at the end of life. Her goal is to raise awareness of the nutritional challenges and dilemmas that arise in palliative care settings.