Our Dietetics service includes dietitians who specialise in cancer care (oncology) and specialist nutrition nurses.
Oncology specialist dietitians are experts in nutrition for people with cancer. The advice they give is based on scientific evidence.
Our dietitians help people affected by cancer to stay nourished and hydrated throughout your care, supporting your wellbeing and quality of life. They tailor their advice to each patient, taking into account your health, nutritional needs and living circumstances.
Our dietitians also work closely with speech and language therapists, particularly for patients who have difficulty chewing or swallowing.
Nutrition nurses support and educate patients with feeding tubes including nasogastric tubes and gastrostomies. They also support and educate families and carers looking after people with cancer.
Our Dietetics team:
- Help patients who have problems with eating, diet or nutrition as a result of their cancer or their cancer treatment. This can include:
- Loss of appetite
- Sore or dry mouth
- Change in how food tastes
- Feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- Losing weight
- Change in your poo or in how often you poo
- Provide practical advice on foods to choose, portion sizes and meal patterns to help people with cancer when they are diagnosed, during treatment and after treatment
- Provide tips and advice to help with fatigue (tiredness that does not go away) – including tips on food shopping, cooking and recipe ideas
- Provide support with feeding tubes and advising on enteral feeds (meals delivered through a feeding tube) and regimens to meet nutritional requirements
- Play a key role supporting people living with cancer and after cancer by:
- Assessing and managing the effects of cancer treatment
- Reducing the risk of malnutrition, secondary cancer or other conditions (including diabetes and heart disease) by providing appropriate advice and support on diet and nutrition
Advice and tips from our Dietetics team:
Sore mouth
Dry mouth
Advice and tips from other organisations:
Meals, supplements and nutrition
Tasty recipes (EnSure nutritional supplements)
FreeGo food pump training videos (Abbott Nutrition)
Managing adult malnutrition (Malnutrition Pathway)
Our team includes dietitians, specialist dietitians with expertise in particular types of cancer (head and neck, hepatobiliary, upper gastrointestinal and haematology), dietetic assistants and nutrition nurses.
Team Lead – Wendy Gerrard
Contact the team:
Call 0151 556 5117
We provide an inpatient service and outpatient service for those who are actively being treated at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. We receive referrals from our consultants, nurses and allied health professionals (AHPs) and also external health care professionals. Please speak to your oncology team if you feel you need to see a Dietitian.
Once you have finished your treatment at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre (and have been under one of our Dietitians), we will refer you to Dietetic colleagues if required.
Your GP or GP practice nurse may also be able to refer you to your local community dietitians.
General advice and tips
Food facts (British Dietetic Association)
Food, activity and cancer (World Cancer Research Fund)
Healthy eating with a stoma (Colostomy UK)
Ileostomy support (Ileostomy Assocation)
Useful information and support
Our Cancer Information and Support Centres can provide individualised help and support for patients and families affected by cancer. The team’s main base is in Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool but they also work at our Aintree and Wirral hospitals.
There are also local Macmillan services in other hospitals across our region.
Organisations that provide other useful support and advice on eating, food and nutrition for people with cancer are listed below.
Liverpool Head and Neck Centre
Local food banks (Trussell Trust)
The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Support Group
Pelvic Radiation Disease Association
