National Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day: In conversation with Macmillan Oncology Dietitian Lindsey Allan
To mark National Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day today (9 March 2022) Lindsey Allan, Macmillan Oncology Dietitian, talks about our dietetic service, how it’s evolved to support our cancer patients and how she is driving work to improve care for patients who are at risk of bowel obstruction.
Lindsey Allan joined the Royal Surrey in 2007, becoming a Macmillan Oncology Dietitian in 2010. She is part of a team of dieticians providing nutrition interventions to support cancer patients during their treatment at St Luke’s Cancer Centre.
“The dietetic service started with six hours per week in 2005. We now boast 13 dietitians including specialists in blood cancer, head and neck cancers and oesophageal-gastric cancers.
“My own team, the general oncology team, has grown from one full-time role to four. We support patients with a broad spectrum of cancers, but predominantly colorectal, lung, gynaecological, pancreatic, melanoma and renal. Most our time is spent helping patients to eat and drink as well as possible to prevent malnutrition, and we provide advice to manage symptoms and side effects that can impact on food and fluid intake.
“Since I started, our role has evolved to meet more complex patient needs. It’s more holistic now, with a lot of psychological support for patients and their families.”
Lindsey has developed a particular interest in managing the diet of patients who are at risk of bowel obstruction and is currently leading the BOUNCED trial – a study into a four-stage bowel obstruction diet that she developed at the request of a patient in 2015.
“Nutrition research is notoriously challenging, but it is vital to build an evidence base to develop guidelines and improve patient outcomes. I am incredibly lucky to have the support of the Research and Development department and my colleagues, in particular Dr Aggie Michael, one of our oncology research leads, to help me make this a reality.
“I am extremely privileged to have worked with supportive and innovative dietitians over the years, and to be a part of the St Luke’s Cancer Centre wider team.”