A dietitian is a qualified and regulated health professional who assesses and treats problems with diet and nutrition, using current research to turn the science of food into practical advice you can actually follow. Dietitian is a protected title in the UK, so anyone using it must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.
At Healthflex, dietetics is led by Liz Toft, a Gastro Allergy Specialist Dietitian at the Royal Surrey County Hospital. She sees adults with diagnosed gut and food related allergic conditions, including:
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- coeliac disease
- diverticular disease
- pollen food syndrome
- anxiety about food that has grown out of any of these
Liz runs a clinic on the first Monday of every month, from 4pm to 8pm, starting on Monday 7 December. You can refer yourself. Call reception on 01428 642577 to arrange an appointment.
More information
What happens at your first appointment
Your initial consultation lasts up to an hour. Liz will ask about your symptoms, your medical history, what you eat in a normal week and anything you have already tried. She will explain what she thinks is going on in plain terms, then agree a plan with you that fits your life rather than an ideal one. Follow up appointments of up to forty five minutes are there to review how the changes are working and adjust them.
Why see a dietitian rather than cutting foods out yourself
Many people with gut symptoms start removing foods on their own and end up with a diet that is restricted, hard to keep up and sometimes short of important nutrients. A dietitian can make sure any change is worth making, supervise more specialised approaches such as the low FODMAP diet properly, and help you reintroduce foods safely afterwards. Both NICE and the British Society of Gastroenterology recommend that more specialised dietary approaches for IBS are guided by a dietitian.
Before you book
If you have had gut symptoms for more than six months and have not yet seen your GP about them, please do that first so other conditions can be ruled out. The NHS explains how IBS is diagnosed. See your GP straight away if you notice unexplained weight loss, bleeding from your bottom, or a lasting change to looser or more frequent stools, particularly if you are over sixty.
Fees
An initial consultation of up to sixty minutes is £140. Follow up appointments of up to forty five minutes are £110. Appointments are arranged by phone rather than online booking.
