GP and Health Care Professionals

You may refer your patients directly to Niamh at her private nutrition & dietetic clinic which is currently based in Blackrock Hall, Cork. Niamh is also available for sessional work in your own surgery/clinic/hospital. Please email Niamh directly to arrange a meeting to discuss possible options.

1. Referral forms available by emailing Niamh directly on corknutrition@eircom.net

Whilst a letter of referral is not necessary in primary care, community setting and for dietitians in Private practice, it is very useful to have key information for some patients in advance of their initial consultation, such as medical background, diagnosis, and desired treatment plan which you recommend for your patient(s). Results which are always very useful include FBC, HbA1C & OGTT, Thyroid & liver function tests, Fasting lipid profile, Immunoglobulins, Blood pressure, DEXA results, IAG urinalysis result for people on the Autism Spectrum.

2. Click here to download a practice information leaflet & map for your Patients.

3. Click here to download a Corporate Brochure for Occupational Health Initiatives & Workplace Wellbeing Programmes.

4. Consultation fees & special offers

As Niamh is a full member of the Irish Nutrition & Dietetic institute (since 1993), all are Fees approved by VHI Healthcare, Aviva Health & Quinn Health. Up to 50% of the fee (per visit) can be claimed back.

Click here for link to fees/reimbursement details

5.     Publications

(1)            Scientific papers

The efficacy and safety of nutritional supplement use in a representative sample of adults in the North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey

Public Health Nutrition (2001), 4 : pp 1089-1097


(2)      Other publications

-“Nutrition in the Community: A Guide for Health Professionals” :

A booklet complied on behalf of Abbott Nutrition (Ireland), 1994

6.  FAQ’s from patients

How will I know if the dietitian/clinical nutritionist I attend is professionally qualified to deal with my medical condition?

The Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute (INDI) is the professional organisation for clinical nutritionists/dietitians in Ireland. Founded in 1968, the Institute represents clinical nutritionists/dietitians throughout Ireland as well as having members world-wide. All professional medically qualified dietitians and clinical nutritionists in Ireland are members of the INDI and carry the initials MINDI after their name.  Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be statutorily regulated, and governed by an ethical code, to ensure that they always work to the highest standard.  Dietitians with the initials MINDI are the only nutrition professionals approved by private health insurance companies.

 What Is The Difference Between a Qualified Dietitian/Clinical Nutritionist & a “Nutritional therapist”?

To try to describe the difference between these titles and qualifications is futile, as essentially there is NO COMPARISON at all between a real dietitian (with a 4-5 year honours degree, post graduate qualification or PhD from a recognised University) and the training of a nutritional therapist.

In the words of the infamous stand-up comedian Dara O’Briain (who attended University College, Dublin (U.C.D.), where he studied mathematics and theoretical physics, before embarking on his TV presenting & stand-up career)

“a dietitian is to a nutritionist, what a dentist is to a toothiologist!”

Check out this blog post by Canadian registered dietitian Kate Park RD, CDE, MAN, BASc
http://thesensiblefoodie.weebly.com/1/post/2011/4/first-post.html

Here’s what the British Dietetic Association has to say: “British Dietetic Association Urges Awareness of the difference Between Dietitians and Nutritional Therapists (January 2012)”
http://www.bda.uk.com/news/120116NutTherapists.html

Is the title of ‘Dietitian’ protected by law?

In the UK the title Dietitian is protected by the Health Professions Council so that only qualified practitioners who have met the education requirements can use the title dietitian.  This is soon to be the case in Ireland also.  The title nutritionist or nutrition therapist is less defined, and is not protected.  This means that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist or nutrition therapist.

Member of The Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute (INDI)