Code of Professional Conduct

Published: September 2008, Review Date: September 2014

Code of Professional Conduct

Contents
Foreword.........................................................................................................4
Introduction.....................................................................................................5
Purpose..........................................................................................................6

Section One................................................................................................... 8
Service Users Autonomy and Welfare............................................................ 8
Respecting the autonomy of the service user.....................................................8
Service User Well-being..................................................................................9
Duty of Care to the Service User....................................................................10

Section Two................................................................................................. 11
Services to Service Users............................................................................ 11
Referral of Service Users..............................................................................11
Equity of service provision............................................................................13
Provision of services to service users..............................................................13
Recording of information..............................................................................13
Confidentiality.............................................................................................14

Section Three.............................................................................................. 15
Personal / Professional Integrity................................................................ 15
Personal integrity........................................................................................15
Personal relationships with patients/clients/users............................................. 15
Professional integrity...................................................................................15
Whistle-blowing...........................................................................................15
Professional demeanour...............................................................................16
Personal health and substance misuse............................................................16
Personal profit / gain...................................................................................16
Advertising.................................................................................................17
Representation of information.......................................................................17
Sustainability..............................................................................................17

Code of Professional Conduct

Section Four................................................................................................ 18
Professional Competence and Standards..................................................... 18
Professional competence..............................................................................18
Delegation..................................................................................................18
Collaborative practice...................................................................................19
Continuing Professional Development.............................................................19
Dietetic student education............................................................................20
Development of the profession......................................................................20
Acknowledgements.........................................................................................21
References & Further Reading..........................................................................22

Code of Professional Conduct

Foreword
In the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of diet and nutrition problems, dietitians have a
responsibility to act in a professional and ethical manner. The Code of Professional Conduct
provides a governance framework to ensure the accountability of dietitians who work in the
interest of public safety at all times.
In addition to this, the code provides a set of professional principles that apply to the wider
dietetic workforce, which will provide support and help to make informed choices when faced
with ethical and professional dilemmas.
The Code of Conduct forms part of the Associations governance framework and links closely
with the BDAs Professional Standards for Dietitians and other professional practice guidance
papers, e.g. Records and Record Keeping. Together, these documents are complementary to
and underpin the Health Professions Councils Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics
and the Standards of Proficiency: Dietitians.
I am pleased to present to you the Code of Professional Conduct and trust that it will help to
ensure a consistent and high level of best practice by the dietetic workforce across the UK.
I would like to extend my thanks and congratulations to all those involved with its production.

Pauline Douglas
Honorary Chairman

Code of Professional Conduct

Introduction
The Health Act 19991 bestows the status of a profession on dietetics, which
automatically carries the statutory requirement to regulate professional conduct
for the protection of the service user. The title Dietitian is protected by law and
can only be used by persons who are registered with the Health Professions Council
(HPC).
This means that as registered practitioners, dietitians must:

protect and support the health of individual service users;

protect and support the health of the wider community;
act in such a way that justifies the trust and confidence of the public;
uphold and enhance the good reputation of the profession.

As independent practitioners, who practise autonomously, dietitians:

are personally accountable for their practice. This means that dietitians are answerable for
their actions and omissions, regardless of advice or directions from another professional;
have a duty of care to their service users, who are entitled to receive safe and competent
care;
must adhere to the laws of the country in which they are practising.
Whilst this document addresses the profession of dietetics and dietitians, most
aspects contained within it are pertinent to members of the wider dietetic
workforce. This includes dietetic support workers and pre-registration student
dietitians.
It is an obligation of this wider workforce to ensure that they apply these same principles and
precepts within their own scope of practice to ensure the publics trust in the dietetic service
provision and thus also in the profession of dietetics.
Although dietetic support workers are not currently regulated by statute, like dietitians, they
are accountable for their actions in four ways:
To the patient/client civil law (duty of care)
The support worker is accountable for their actions and omissions when they can
reasonably foresee that they would be likely to injure service users, or cause further
discomfort or harm, e.g. if a support worker failed to report that a patient had fallen out of
bed.
To the public criminal law
For example, if a support worker were to physically assault a patient, then they would be
held accountable and could be prosecuted under criminal law, as well as being in breach of
their contract of employment.
To the employer employment law
Working outside their job description would breach the employment contract
To professional codes of conduct (e.g. The BDA Code of Professional Conduct)
A code of conduct exists for some professions. Ethical, moral and legal issues form these
codes in conjunction with standards of practice.

Code of Professional Conduct

Purpose
The purpose of the BDA Code of Professional Conduct is to provide a set of principles
that applies to all dietitians. It requires the dietetic workforce to discharge their duties and
responsibilities in a professional, ethical and moral manner.
Producing and promoting a code cannot alter the behaviour of an individual who is
determined to act unethically. However, a major function of this code of conduct is to enable
professionals to make an informed choice when faced with an ethical dilemma so that they do
not behave unethically by error rather than by design.
There are five guiding principles which underpin professional conduct. These are:

Beneficence that the actions taken should do good;

Non maleficence taking steps to prevent harm to others;
Justice ensuring that people are treated fairly;
Fidelity being faithful to promises made (this includes the need to be explicit and
realistic about what service can be provided);
Autonomy each individual has the right to freely choose their own course of action and
to choose what happens to them.
This code may be used by others to determine the standards of professional conduct
which can be expected from dietitians.
The code is necessarily broad and cannot provide definitive answers to the many dilemmas
that dietitians may experience within their professional practice. For this reason, it is
obviously open to different interpretations, depending upon the circumstances to which it
is applied. However, if used as a guidance document, the Code should support all dietetic
practitioners to ensure that their practice is safe, effective and of high quality.
This code is a public document which supplements the HPC Standards of Conduct,
Performance and Ethics2 and Standards of Proficiency3. It should be used in conjunction with
Professional Standards for Dietitians (BDA 2003)4 and other documents for guidance, such as
BDA Guidance on Records and Record Keeping (BDA 2008)16. The British Dietetic Association
(BDA) strongly recommends recognition of the Code by all other individuals, organisations
and institutions involved with the profession.
It is the personal duty of every dietitian to ensure that their HPC registration is kept up to
date.
Any action which conflicts with the word or spirit of this code should be considered unethical.
It confers no rights, and offers no protection against any sanction imposed by the laws of the
United Kingdom.
Uncertainty or dispute as to the interpretation or application of this code should be referred,
in the first instance, to the Education and Professional Development section of the BDA office.
There are aspects of the code which will only be relevant for HPC registered professionals,
and for these elements the protected title Dietitian is used.

Code of Professional Conduct

Note
In this document the following terms are used:
You must is used as an overriding principle or duty.
You should is used where the principle or duty may not apply in all circumstances or where
there are factors outside your control affecting your ability to comply.
This document replaces Code of Professional Conduct which was issued by The British Dietetic
Association in January 2004.

Code of Professional Conduct

Section One
Service Users Autonomy and Welfare
Respecting the autonomy of the service user
1.1

You will at all times recognise, respect and uphold the autonomy of service
users: i.e. their right to make choices and to work in partnership with dietetic
practitioners. You will promote the dignity, privacy and safety of all service
users.
1.1.1 You will respect the decisions of service users concerning their own health and
independence, even when such decisions conflict with professional opinion.
1.1.2 Service users should be given sufficient information and time to enable them to
make informed decisions, about their health and social care.
1.1.3 You will take care to present information in a way that service users can
understand3,6.
1.1.4 Reasonable steps should be taken to ensure that the service user understands the
nature, purpose and likely effect of the proposed intervention5,7.
1.1.5 Service users have a right to refuse intervention, and should be offered the
opportunity to refuse it. Any such refusal should be respected and recorded in
writing.
1.1.6 Discussions with, or about, service users should be confidential and be
conducted in such a place and manner as to protect their privacy.

NOTE: Exceptional circumstances may, however, prevail, for example where the service user is
deemed to lack competence in relation to consent to treatment (mental health legislation and
current case law)8,9,10,11,12,13.
Mental Capacity Act (2005) England and Wales8 governs decision-making on behalf of adults,
where they lose mental capacity at some point in their lives or where the incapacitating condition
has been present since birth. The Act received Royal Assent on 7 April 2005 and came into force
during 2007.
The Adults with Incapacity Act (2000) Scotland sets out in law a range of options to help people
aged 16 or over who lack the capacity to make some or all decisions for themselves. It allows
other people to make decisions on their behalf.
There is currently no equivalent law on mental capacity in Northern Ireland. The Bamford
Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability is looking athowcurrent law affects people
with mental health needs or a learning disability in Northern Ireland.

Code of Professional Conduct

Service User Well-being

1.2

You must not engage in or condone behaviour that causes mental distress or
physical harm. Such behaviour includes neglect, intentional acts, indifference
to the pain or misery of others and other malpractice.
1.2.1 Any intervention that may cause pain or distress should first be explained to the
service user, who should also understand its nature, purpose and likely outcome,
before it begins.
1.2.2 You should make every reasonable effort to avoid leaving a service user in pain
or distress after any intervention. If distress continues, relevant parties should
be informed as soon as is reasonably practical.
1.2.3 If you witness, or have evidence of, behaviour which appears to cause
unnecessary or avoidable pain or distress (including unreasonable restraint),
you have a duty to make this known confidentially to your line manager or other
appropriate agency12,13.
1.2.4 You should act to prevent such action from continuing, providing this action is
within your professional competence and does not conflict with local policies and
procedures. If you are unable to intervene you should withdraw from the action.
1.2.5 You should take all reasonable steps to prevent service users following action or
advice which you know to be harmful to their health.

Code of Professional Conduct

Duty of Care to the Service User

1.3

You have a duty to take reasonable care of service users.

1.3.1 Professional duty of care is established at the moment when you accept a
service user for assessment and intervention. You have a duty to ensure that
any intervention is likely to be of benefit to the service user.
1.3.2 You should be aware that you have a common law duty of care to your service
users2 and that a breach of this duty may lead to a civil claim for damages for
negligence by the service user.
1.3.3 You must obtain adequate public liability insurance or professional indemnity
cover for any part of your practice not covered by an employers indemnity
scheme.
1.3.4 You must not refuse to treat someone just because the patient has an infection2.
1.3.5 You must take appropriate precautions to protect service users, their carers and
families, and yourself from infection. In particular you should protect your service
users from infecting one another2.
1.3.6 You must take precautions against the risks that you may infect someone else.
This is especially important if you suspect or know that you have an infection
that could harm others2.
1.3.7 If you believe or know that you may have such an infection, you must get
medical advice and act on it2.

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Section Two
Services to Service Users
Referral of service users
2.1

Dietitians shall only accept referrals which they deem to be appropriate and
for which they have the resources14.
2.1.1 It is the duty of the dietitian to determine whether the referral is appropriate.
The referral may be made verbally or in writing by a medical practitioner,
another health professional, or by individual service users.
2.1.2 If the dietitian decides that dietetic advice is not appropriate, the referrer should
be informed so as to increase awareness of the role and limitations of dietetic
practice.
2.1.3 It is not a requirement of dietetic practice for dietitians to accept only medical
referrals. Dietitians are autonomous professionals and the responsibility for
assessment and subsequent intervention remains with the individual dietitian.
2.1.4 Dietitians are legally liable for their intervention, teaching and advice carried
out following assessment. This applies regardless of whether the intervention
requested by the referrer is found to be appropriate or not.
2.1.5 Responsibility lies with the dietitian to identify whether or not dietetic
intervention is indicated. Criteria must be established to ensure that clear
objectives are agreed, with both the service user and the referrer, for any
intervention.
Dietitians have a threefold responsibility to ensure that the intervention is
necessary and appropriate to:
a. the service user; to make sure that expectations are not raised that
cannot be fulfilled, and to not waste time and resources treating service
users for whom the treatment will not be or has ceased to be beneficial.
b. themselves as dietitians; by treating a service user who does not require
such treatment. It is morally wrong to give treatment when it is not
required, or when referral to another agency is necessary, or more
appropriate.
c. their employer; whether self employed or employed through a health
trust, private hospital or industrial concern, it is ethically wrong to waste
time and money by treating service users unnecessarily.

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11

2.1.6

Prescriptive referrals

Some dietetic referrals are contentious. Usually, these are prescriptive

referrals and tend to fall into three categories:
Requests for dietetic intervention that would be actively harmful to the
service user;
Requests for interventions which are unnecessary;
Requests for intervention that would be of doubtful benefit.
2.1.6.1

Actively harmful

Health Circular HC(77)3315, Relationships between the Medical and Remedial

Professions, includes comments by the Joint Consultants Committee. Para. 2(ii)
states:
In asking for treatment by a therapist (dietitian) the doctor is clearly
asking for the help of another trained professional, and the profession
of medicine and the various therapies differ. It follows from this that
the therapist (dietitian) has a duty and a consequential right to decline
to perform any therapy (intervention) which his professional training
and expertise suggests is actively harmful to the patient. Equally, the
doctor who is responsible for the patient has the right to instruct the
therapist (dietitian) not to carry out certain forms of treatment which he
believes harmful to the patient.
Medical colleagues have, therefore, clearly acknowledged that dietitians have
the right to refuse to treat a patient/client/user when the treatment requested is
considered to be actively harmful. It would be courteous in these circumstances
and beneficial to the service user to discuss the matter with the medical
practitioner and suggest an alternative course of management based on the
dietetic assessment.
2.1.6.2

Unnecessary treatment

If it is clear that a request is inappropriate or cannot be justified in terms

of possible benefits or available resources, the referring practitioner must
be approached and the responsibilities of the dietitian explained as set out
above. If the practitioner persists in making such inappropriate requests, it
may be necessary for a more formal approach to be made by a dietetic service
manager. Requests by the referrer for the number of sessions required to fulfill
a therapeutic intervention should also be challenged. It is not considered good
practice to let the medical practitioner assume that their request is being carried
out, when the dietetic intervention considered appropriate is substantially
different.
2.1.6.3

Treatment of dubious benefit

Many areas of healthcare, although appearing to have a beneficial effect, have

not been evaluated or researched. It is the responsibility of each individual
dietitian to keep up to date in respect of the research, evaluation of dietetic
practice and approaches to the care of various conditions. If such a request is
made, the dietitian has a duty of care to discuss, with both the service user and
the referrer, the implications of the intervention and negotiate the way forward.

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Equity of service provision

2.2

You will provide an equitable service to all service users.

2.2.1 You should provide services that are sensitive to, and which value and respect, the
diversity of culture and lifestyle.
2.2.2 You must not allow your views about a service users sex, age, colour, race,
disability, sexuality, social or economic status, lifestyle, culture, religion or beliefs
to affect the way you treat them or the professional advice you give2. You should
strive for consistency of care at all times and in all situations.
2.2.3 You must not judge service users and you should ensure that children and other
vulnerable individuals are protected.
2.2.4 Resources will never be infinite and therefore choices about their use will have
to be made. Priorities should always be based on sound ethical principles and
current best practice in relation to the reasonableness, availability and suitability
of services to meet the needs of patients/clients/users.

Provision of services to service users

2.3

Services should be centered on the needs of the service users.

2.3.1 You should act to uphold and promote service users autonomy.
2.3.2 You should report to employers any deficiencies of provision for service users,
and should substantiate your concerns.
2.3.3 If you feel unable to practise safely and effectively, you have a duty to raise your
concerns with your employers. This dialogue must be recorded14.

Recording of information
2.4

You should keep accurate records

2.4.1 You should keep a written (and/or electronic) record of the intervention, advice
given and the outcome of decisions taken.
2.4.1.1

Every service user should have a clearly recorded assessment of

need and objectives of intervention.

2.4.2 Records should be accurate, legible, factual, in sequence, made promptly, and
signed by the person who made them.
2.4.3 If you are delegating care activities to another member of staff appropriately
(e.g. students, support workers) there must be a system in place to ensure
the accuracy of the record, i.e. that what has been done has been accurately
recorded. This may, but not necessarily, include countersigning their entries.
Until there is UK-wide national guidance on the countersigning of records by
support workers and students the decision is one for individual departmental
interpretation. Further information and guidance on this can be found in the BDA
Guidance on Records and Record Keeping Document 200816.

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13

2.4.4 Subjective opinion should always be identified as such and should be clinical and

relevant.
2.4.5 Records should be stored securely so as to be confidential16,27.
Confidentiality
2.5

You are ethically, morally and legally obliged to safeguard confidential

information relating to service users2,18,31.
2.5.1 The disclosure of confidential information to a third party is normally only
permissible where the service user gives consent (expressed or implied); or
when there is legal justification (by statute or court order); or it is thought to be
in the public interest to prevent serious harm to anyone2.
2.5.2 Disclosure of the service users diagnosis, treatment, prognosis or future
requirements should only be made when there is valid consent or legal
justification.
2.5.3 Records should be kept secure from all but those who have a legitimate right/need
to see them19.
2.5.4 Local and national policies on the confidentiality and storage of electronic notes
(including faxes and e-mails) should always be followed.
2.5.5 Access to records by service users must only be granted in accordance with
current statutory provision. Reference should be made to current codes of
practice and other guidance (both local and national) on access to personal
health information, particularly in relation to:
Policies and Procedures
Access to Personal Files Act 198720
Data Protection Act 199821
Human Rights Act 199822
Access to Medical Reports Act 198823
Access to Health Records Act 199024
Caldicott Guidance 199927
The Children Act 198928
The Freedom of Information Act 200029
Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice 200330
NOTE: Exceptional circumstances may, however, prevail where the rights of access to
information may be curtailed in certain circumstances such as the Children Act 1989 and
Data Protection Act 1998.

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Section Three
Personal/Professional Integrity
Personal integrity
3.1

The highest standards of personal integrity are expected of you.

3.1.1 You have a duty to refrain from bullying and other forms of harassment, and to

be aware of how your behaviour affects others32.

3.1.2 You have a duty to behave safely, responsibly and legally online, particularly in

relation to the use of social networking sites. You must not:

breach confidentiality and data protection laws;

engage in potentially libellous gossip;

bring your profession into disrepute.
Personal relationships with service users
3.2

You will not enter into relationships that exploit or abuse service users
sexually, physically, emotionally, financially, socially or in any other manner.
3.2.1 It is considered unethical for you to enter into relationships which may
impair your professional judgment and objectivity and/or may give rise to
advantageous/disadvantageous treatment of the service user.

Professional integrity
3.3

You should not criticise any colleague in public.

3.3.1 You may give expert evidence in court about the alleged negligence of
a colleague, though such evidence should be objective and capable of
substantiation. If you should witness malpractice by any other
professional, under no circumstance should you remain silent about it.
3.3.2 If you have reasonable grounds to believe that the behaviour or professional
performance of a colleague, of whatever discipline, is below the expected
standards of professionalism, this should be notified confidentially to your line
manager or other appropriate person in accordance with the recommendations
of the NHS Executive following the Public Interest Disclosure Act 199833
(HSC1991/198)34. For those working outside the NHS setting, advice should be
sought from the BDA or the HPC registrar2.
3.3.3 Care should be taken, when giving a second opinion, to confine it to the issue
and not the competence of the first professional.

Whistle-blowing
3.4

You should be aware of the available mechanisms for whistle-blowing33,34,35.

3.4.1 If you are employed within the NHS you should be aware of the nominated
officer in your Trust/Board, with whom you should consult when appropriate. All
staff are protected in these circumstances. If you are not employed by the
NHS you should seek advice from the BDA.

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3.4.2 Whistle-blowing should not be used to resolve personal, partnership or business

disputes. In these cases, any areas of concern must be raised with the individual
first.
Professional demeanour
3.5

You must conduct yourself in a professional manner appropriate to the

setting.
3.5.1 At all times when carrying out professional duties, you must act in such a way as
to maintain the confidence of the service user.
3.5.2 You should wear appropriate uniform or work-based clothing which meets the
need to inspire confidence in your patients and to afford protection against
cross infection risks and other health and safety considerations. Your employing
authority will determine the nature of your work-based clothing which must also
take into account the cultural and religious requirements of members of staff.

Personal health and substance misuse

3.6

You must not work whilst under the influence of any substance which is likely
to impair the performance of your duties.
3.6.1 You must not misuse, nor encourage others to misuse, alcohol, drugs or other
substances.
3.6.2 You must seek advice and take action if you become aware that your physical
and/or mental health could affect your fitness to practise.
3.6.3 You must inform the HPC about any significant changes to your health, especially
if you have changed your practice as a result of medical advice2.

Personal profit/gain
3.7

You must not accept favours, gifts, or hospitality from service users, their
families or commercial organisations when the offer might be construed as an
attempt to gain preferential treatment36,37.
3.7.1 Your prime duty is to the service user and you should not let this duty be
influenced by any commercial or other interest that conflicts with it.
3.7.2 A bequest in a will to you by a service user should be declared to your employer,
where appropriate.
3.7.3 Local policies concerning gifts should be observed.

NOTE: In certain cases, the property and affairs of a service user may be subject to the
authority of the Court of Protection.

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Advertising
3.8

You may make direct contact with potential referring agencies in order to
promote your services.
3.8.1 Dietitians should be guided by the HPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and
Ethics2 and the Standards of Proficiency: Dietitians3.
3.8.2 You must take care not to make or support unjustifiable statements relating to
particular products.
3.8.3 If you are involved in advertising or promoting any product or service, you must
make sure that you use your scientific knowledge, clinical skills and experience
in an accurate and professionally responsible way. You must not make or support
unjustifiable statements relating to particular products. Any potential financial
rewards to you should play no part at all in your advice or recommendations of
products and services that you give to patients, clients and users.

Representation of information
3.9

You must give a true account of your qualifications, education, experience,

training and competence and the services you can provide.
3.9.1 You shall not convey any information you know, or have reasonable grounds to
believe, to be false, fraudulent, deceptive or untrue.
3.9.2 If you become aware that information which you have given about your
employment is false you should notify the appropriate authority.

Sustainability
3.10 Public accountability and respect for the environment
3.10.1 You have a responsibility to The Association, to tax payers, to the wider
community and to the environment not to waste resources. You should
demonstrate due regard for the sustainable management of resources at your
disposal and should use resources responsibly and efficiently as is practicable.

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Section Four
Professional Competence and Standards
Professional competence
4.1

You shall achieve and maintain high standards of competence.

4.1.1 You are responsible for the maintenance of your own professional competence
and knowledge of the laws affecting your practice2.

4.1.2 You must only provide services for which you are qualified by education, training
and/or experience, and which are within your professional competence and
scope of practice2,4,38.

4.1.3 If you are asked to act up or cover for an absent colleague you must identify and
decline to undertake any aspect of work which you know or believe to be outside
the scope of your clinical competence. Such duties should not be undertaken in
the absence of adequate supervision and training2,4.
4.1.4 Dietitians seeking work for which their training or experience is insufficient or
out of date have a responsibility to ensure that adequate self-directed learning,
training and supervision takes place38.
Delegation
4.2

Dietitians who delegate treatment or other procedures must be satisfied that

the person to whom these are delegated is competent to carry them out.
Such persons may include students, support workers or volunteers. In these
circumstances the dietitian will retain ultimate responsibility for the service
user2,40,41.
4.2.1 Dietitians must provide supervision appropriate to the level of competence of the
individuals for whom they have responsibility.
4.2.2 When delegating work to others, dietitians have a legal responsibility to
determine the knowledge and skill level required to perform the delegated task.
4.2.3 The dietitian is accountable for the delegation of the task, and the support
worker/student is accountable for accepting the delegated task, as well as being
responsible for his/her actions in carrying it out.

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Collaborative practice
4.3

You will respect the needs, working practices, skills and responsibilities of
others with whom you work.
4.3.1 You should acknowledge the need for multi-professional collaboration to ensure
the provision of well-coordinated services delivered in the most effective way. In
so doing the unique contribution of each profession should be acknowledged.
4.3.2 Dietitians must refer service users to, or consult with, other service providers
when additional knowledge and expertise is required.
4.3.3 With the exception of seeking a second opinion, it is in the interests of good
service user care and best practice that there should be one dietitian taking
overall responsibility for the assessment and treatment of a service user for any
one episode of care.
4.3.4 When more than one dietitian is involved in the treatment of the same service
user, they must liaise with each other and agree explicit areas of responsibility.

Continuing Professional Development

4.4

It is your responsibility to develop your knowledge and skills and keep yourself
up to date2,3,39.

4.4.1 You must continue to develop and maintain your professional knowledge and

skills.
4.4.2 You should keep a record of your professional development25,39.
4.4.3 You should set annual objectives in partnership with your line manager or
appropriate professional peer as part of the appraisal process.
4.4.4 You must engage in a range of CPD activities of which a key component is
practice supervision2,25,26. A minimum recommendation is at least one session
every two months. Further guidance on practice supervision can be found in the
BDA Practice Supervision Guidelines September 200842.

4.4.5 It is your duty to ensure that your practice is evidence based, wherever possible.

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Dietetic student education

4.5

Dietitians have a professional responsibility to participate in the education of

dietetic students.
4.5.1 Dietitians should ensure they have adequate training and skills to be a
competent trainer before training dietetic students.
4.5.2 Dietitians should treat all students with fairness and respect.
4.5.3 Dietitians should ensure that they promote student-centred learning and that the
training they offer is appropriate to the students level of education and training.
4.5.4 When accepting a student for placement, dietitians should have a clear
understanding of their role and responsibility and those of the student and the
educational institution.
4.5.5 Dietitians should regularly evaluate the quality of their training and strive for
continuous improvement.

Development of the profession

4.6

Dietitians should promote an understanding of, and contribute to, the

development of dietetics.
4.6.1 Dietitians have a responsibility to contribute to the continuing development of
the profession by critical evaluation, audit and research.
4.6.2 Dietitians undertaking research and audit must always address the ethical
implications and refer to local protocols.
4.6.3 Dietitians undertaking research or audit have a responsibility to share their
findings in order to inform or change practice.

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Acknowledgements
This document has been based on the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for
Occupational Therapists 2000, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Rules of Professional
Conduct 2002 and the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct 2002 and
the Society of Radiographers Code of Conduct and Ethics 2007.
The Code of Professional Conduct was revised by Najia Qureshi, Professional Development
Officer on behalf of the Professional Development Committee of The British Dietetic
Association.
Please direct any enquiries on this document to the Education and Professional Development
Section of the Association.
September 2008

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References & Further Reading

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The Health Act 1999.

Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics. Health Professions Council 2008.
Standards of Proficiency. Health Professions Council 2007.
Professional Standards for Dietitians. The British Dietetic Association 2003.
Good Practice in Consent: A Guide for Dietitians. The British Dietetic Association.
August 2002. (Revised document due to be published November 2008)
Toolkit for Producing Patient Information. Department of Health 2000.
Reference Guide for Consent to Examination or Treatment, Welsh Assembly
Government.
Mental Capacity Act (2005) England and Wales.
Making Decisions. Helping People who have difficulty deciding for themselves. A
guide for Health Professionals. Lord Chancellors Department May 2000.
Seeking Consent: Working with Children. Department of Health November 2001.
Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000.
Protection of Children Act 1999.
The NSF for Older People. March 2001. Department of Health.
Safe Caseload Management. Professional Development Committee Briefing Paper
No.11. The British Dietetic Association.
Health Circular HC (77) 33. Relationships Between Medical and Remedial
Professions, Department of Health. London.
The BDA Guidance on Records and Record Keeping 2008
Better Information, Better Health: Information Management and Technology for
Health Care and Improvement in Wales, A Strategic Framework 1998-2005.
National Assembly for Wales.
Informing Healthcare: Transforming healthcare using information and IT (2003).
Welsh Assembly Government.
Access to Health Records (NI) Order 1993; Access to Personal Files and Medical
Reports (NI) Order 1991; The Childrens (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.
Access to Personal Files Act 1987.
Data Protection Act 1998.
Human Rights Act 1998.
Access to Medical Reports Act 1988.
Access to Health Records Act 1990.
Continuing Professional Development Position Statement BDA 2008.
Practice Supervision Position Statement BDA 2008.
Caldicott Report 1997.
The Children Act 1989.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice. Department of Health 2003.
NHS Code of Practice on Protecting Patient Confidentiality NHS Scotland 2003
Policy Statement on Harassment and Bullying. The British Dietetic Association.
October 2002.
Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.
HSC 1999/198 The Public Disclosure Act 1998: Whistle-blowing in the NHS.
So Long Silence. Whistle-blowing: The Policy Pack 2003.
Commercial Sponsorship Ethical Standards for the NHS. Department of Health
2000.
Commercial Sponsorship Ethical Standards for the NHS in Wales 2003.
Guidance Document on Extended Scope Practice. The British Dietetic Association
2006.
Continuing Professional Development and your Registration. Health Professions
Council 2006

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Supervision, Delegation and Accountability: A guide for registered

practitioners and support workers. Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Royal
College of Speech and Language Therapy , The British Dietetic Association, The
Royal College Nursing January 2006
Guidance Document on the Roles, Responsibilities and development of the
Dietetic Support Worker. The British Dietetic Association June 2006.
BDA Practice Supervision Guidelines September. The British Dietetic Association,
September 2008

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The British Dietetic Association

5th Floor, Charles House, 148/9 Great Charles Street
Queensway, Birmingham B3 3HT
Tel. 0121 200 8080 - Fax: 0121 200 8081
info@bda.uk.com - www.bda.uk.com

The British Dietetic Association, September 2008.

Permission granted to reproduce for personal and educational use only.
Commercial copying, hiring or lending without the written permission of the BDA is prohibited.

Code of Professional Conduct

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