Dietetics team test digital resources to help people eat well
CPFT’s dietetics team are trialling digital resources to help people with dementia and Parkinson’s disease improve nutrition while they are referred for NHS care.
A range of videos and written materials have been produced for CPFT to ensure that high quality information is provided as soon as possible to people waiting for specialist dietetic care, so they can eat well and prevent any weight loss from challenging health conditions.
The Restore Programme was created by Charlotte Foster, Senior Specialist Dietitian and Nutritionist for her project supported by the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur programme in 2025. Initially developed to support people affected by cancer, Charlotte has broadened her innovation to support other patient groups and bring clarity, confidence and practical support to help people manage nutrition better during illness.
CPFT’s Lead Dietitian Amanda Thornburrow said: “The resources provided are broad and professional in a way that we could not have achieved in the same timeframe. Our patients need information at the point of referral to reduce any unplanned weight loss immediately. The links can be shared quickly, and relatives or carers can use them if the patient is not able to access the resources themselves. We look forward to evaluating this work over the next twelve months and gaining feedback on how it’s helped our patients as well as our clinical team.”
The innovation project to trial these resources for three years was set up to address the growing waiting list for the dietetics team, with around a quarter of referrals for people with dementia and Parkinson’s disease each month. The Restore Programme offers a fast and efficient way to share vital, evidence-based and accurate professional resources with patients who need dietary advice as soon as they contact the service, enabling dietitians to support those in greatest need.
The dietetics team hope that the resources will improve waiting times, release time to care for dietitians, and help them support more complex patients. They are working with Charlotte over three years to share these resources with patients on the waiting list that would benefit most. Patients and carers will have six months to access and use the resources and will be contacted at the end of this period to check if the Restore Programme has met their needs, or if they need further dietetic support.
Lorna Hamblin, Clinical Innovation Project Manager at CPFT said: “We are really pleased to be progressing with this partnership and are delighted to be supporting Charlotte, an inspiring NHS Clinical Entrepreneur. Staff have fed back that her resources are clear, well-presented and professional with a clear, accessible, calm and supportive presentation style. This project will extend the use of these online resources with our patient group and evaluate the impact on our patients’ health outcomes and on our dietetics waiting list.”
This is one of several innovation projects the dietetics team are running at CPFT. They have also started a two-year pilot with MyFood24, to help people with diabetes self-manage their condition and provide better nutritional data for their appointments with dietitians.
CPFT’s Clinical Innovation team works with staff, patients, industry and innovation partners to support the development and implementation of new approaches to improve clinical practice. Anyone with an innovative idea or solution to help healthcare staff and patients can get in touch through the enquiry form on the Clinical Innovation webpage.