How to Refer

Our service can be accessed by sending a standard form available from the department. Please ensure the client meets our referral criteria and the form is completed fully. Incomplete referrals will be returned causing a delay in clients being contacted. Please send completed forms to:

Department of Community Nutrition and Dietetics, 
Community Dietitians, 
St. Annes Primary Care Centre, 
Durham Avenue, 
St. Annes, FY8 2EP
Email: bfwh.askadietician@nhs.net
www.bfwh.nhs.uk/communitydietetics

• Initially, all referrals are screened to see whether they meet our referral criteria and contain sufficient information, before being triaged.

• Patients are then sent an ‘opt-in’ letter asking whether they want an appointment to see a Dietitian and are given 2 weeks to reply. Patients who do reply are then offered a choice of a telephone, video, 1:1 clinic appointment at a local clinic or a group education session. (High priority patients will bypass the opt-in system).

• For nursing and care homes, a pack is sent out for completion and asked to return to us within 2 weeks. When we receive the completed care home pack, a Dietitian will contact the home to discuss the residents Nutrition and Hydration.

Home visits are only available for patients who are confined to their homes and meet our referral criteria. They will be undertaken, if necessary but advice may be given over the phone, if deemed appropriate. Patients who visit their GP practice for appointments will not be offered a home visit appointment by the dietitian.

If a patient has been referred for a home visit, a dietitian will contact the 
patient by phone to discuss and book an appointment.

We are happy to receive referrals from consenting patients with the following conditions:-

Diabetes Mellitus

• Newly diagnosed Type 1 and 2 
• Raised HbA1c and/or Maximum oral hypoglycaemic therapy
• Commencing new medication or insulin.
• Struggling with dietary changes

Kidney Disease

• Renal disease managed in Primary Care requiring support with dietary change and lifestyle modification
• Chronic Kidney Disease – Stages 3-5

Nutritional Support

• Patients who have been screened for Malnutrition using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and have a MUST Score of 2 or more. (MUST scores are checked before an appointment is offered)
• Patients with a stage 3 or 4 pressure sore/ulcer 
• Please do not refer patients if nutritional support is detrimental or of no expected benefit eg: end of life care or if they have a long-term low Body Mass Index (BMI) with no weight loss

Care home residents with a Blackpool GP should be referred to their neighbourhood hub for initial advice and assessment

Coeliac Disease

All newly diagnosed clients and those requiring dietary review.

Other Dietary Problems

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Diverticular Disease
• Decompensated Liver Disease
• Pancreatitis 
• Gout
• Hypertension/ Lipid lowering / Cardiac advice 
• Dietary deficiencies 
• Food Allergy or Intolerance
• Other Bowel conditions

Tube Feeding

• Patients who receive all or part of their nutrition and hydration via a feeding tube should be referred to our ‘Home Enteral Feeding Specialist Dietetic Service’ via bfwh.askadietician@nhs.net.