Primary Care Dietitians
WellSouth has a team of New Zealand Registered Dietitians that cover all of Otago and Southland. Dietitians complete five years of study, including an undergraduate nutrition degree and a Master of Dietetics. We are registered prescribers and provide medical nutrition therapy, offering evidence-based guidance on how nutrition affects various medical conditions. Our approach considers each person’s environment, knowledge, preferences, and socioeconomic factors.
The range of services offered by the Dietitians at WellSouth means that there is something to suit everyone, including those living rurally. Our services are completely FREE and provided by our qualified team.
Referring
Individuals can be referred via their GP, practice nurse or other healthcare provider for nutrition advice.
If you are a health professional, you can find our referral criteria on health pathways. Please refer via ERMS (Allied health Dietitian - - referral -- Southern DHB -- WellSouth Community Dietitian Otago/Southland)
If you do not have access to ERMS, here is the form you can use.
Group Education Programmes
We offer fun and interactive programmes to support people to better manage their own health:
Individual Appointments
Our dietitians work with people and whānau to help manage their conditions. They support people with conditions such as pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, women’s health (including PCOS, subfertility, pregnancy, and breastfeeding), and young fussy eaters without growth or nutrient deficiencies.
These can be in-person in Dunedin or Invercargill, or via telephone or video consultation. Central Otago appointments are via phone call or video call.
Additional Information for patients can be found here.