Nutrition and Dietetics

Weekdays Monday to Friday 8.00am to 4.30pm

We see people of all ages living in the St George Local area.

The initial consultation may run for around 45 minutes to an hour.  The dietitian will ask detailed questions about your current diet, exercise habits, general health and lifestyle.  These questions allow the dietitian to tailor an individual eating plan to your needs.

Follow-up appointments allow the dietitian to keep track of your progress, support you and fine-tune your eating plan.  Your dietitian's main goal is to give you the knowledge and skills to be able to make the best food choices and take care of your health.

Appointments with the Dietitian are available in person or via telehealth (this includes a phone or video appointment).  You will be offered the type of appointment best suited to why you are seeing the Dietitian.

We see people for a range of conditions such as:

• Poor nutrition intake
• Swallowing problems (dysphagia)
• Cancer
• High cholesterol and blood fats
• Diabetes (managed with diet or oral medication)
• Tube feeding
• Kidney conditions
• Gastrointestinal problems such as Coeliac and Crohn's disease
• Liver disease
• Childhood related nutrition conditions

To see a Dietitian you will need a referral from your GP or specialist.

We work closely with all members of the multidisciplinary team at St George Hospital as well as your GP.

Outpatient Clinics:

• Gastromedical
• General Outpatient
• Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN)
• Paediatric
• Renal

Our service operates Monday to Friday 8.00am to 4.30pm.  We have set days and times for each of our clinics.  Appointments are made into the clinic that best suits why the dietitian is seeing you.

Can I choose the day and time I attend the department for my appointment?

We don't have clinics or appointments available each day.  Our clinic days and times are limited to set days and times each week.  We will discuss options with you to try and find a time that suits you and your family and carers to attend.

You will need a referral letter from your local general practitioner (GP) or specialty doctor to use this service.  Please ask them to write you a referral letter explaining your medical history, relevant test results, X-ray results and what medicines you are taking.  We will then send you a letter in the post with the details of your appointment date, time and location.  Please let us know if your address and/or phone number changes.

If you need to change or cancel your appointment please telephone 02 9113 2752.

You may need to wait up to 4-6 weeks for an appointment to see a dietitian.  If your doctor thinks you need an urgent appointment, they need to telephone us to discuss your needs.

If you have questions regarding your appointment or if you would like to reschedule or cancel your appointment please call the Nutrition and Dietetics department on 02 9113 2752.

Appointment Reminders - if we have your mobile phone number in our system you will receive a text message reminding you of your appointment date and time 3 days before your appointment.

It is recommended that you ask the receptionist or therapist whilst booking your appointment if there is anything specific you should bring to your appointment.  Generally it is recommended you bring the following:

• Your referral letter from your specialist or GP.
• Your Medicare card and identification.
• Any relevant blood test results or medical reports.
• The letter that we send to you to confirm your appointment as this will have the details of exactly where to go.  You can show this letter to the staff on the information counters if you need help once you arrive at the hospital.
• You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you, especially those involved in the preparation of your meals.
• If you have received any diet charts or information in the past it will be helpful to bring these to your appointment.
• For children - blue book.

Australian Guide to Healthy Eating - Department of Health - The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating is a food selection guide which visually represents the proportion of the five food groups recommended for consumption each day:  www.gethealthynsw.com.au

Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service - NSW Health - The Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service is a FREE, confidential phone coaching service which supports participants to reach personalised lifestyle goals relating to healthy eating, increasing physical activity, alcohol reduction, healthy weight or achieving a healthy weight gain in pregnancy.

Go4Fun® - NSW Health - Go4Fun® if a free 10 week healthy lifestyle program supporting 7-13 year old children who are above a healthy weight and their families to adopt a long term healthy lifestyle:  https://go4fun.com.au

TEAM - The Think, Eat and Move (TEAM) Program is a FREE, evidence based, eight-week online healthy lifestyle program for adolescents who are above a healthy weight:  www.thinkeatandmove.org/information

ASCIA - Australasian Society of Immunology and Allergy - up-to-date information on allergies:  https://www.allergy.org.au/patients

Inside Out Institute - Eating disorder information:  https://insideoutinstitute.org.au

Private Dietitian Services

To find a private Dietitian (Accredited Practicing Dietitian - APD) Dietitians Australia website:  www.daa.asn.au (section "Find an APD" link).

Please speak with your GP to determine if you are eligible for the Enhanced Primary Care Program (EPC), also known as Team Care Arrangement.  This enables access to private Dietetic services which may be accessed through the St George Division of General Practice or through a private practice Dietitian.  People with a team care arrangement are eligible for 5 Medicare rebates per year for services provided by private health care professionals, including dietitians.

We are a teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment.  You have a right to say no.  If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter.  You can contact us telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450.  Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare professional you want to speak with.