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Nutritional therapist
Hours
Variable
Starting salary
£15,000 + per year
If you would like to help people gain the benefits of a good diet, this job could suit you well.
Nutritional therapists help people to improve and maintain their health and sense of wellbeing through diet and nutrition. They use their knowledge of food and nutrition to give advice on diet, which may encourage the body’s natural healing process.
In this job you will need to understand the needs of your clients. You will need to work with scientific information. You will also need to explain complex information to people in a clear way.
There aren't any specific entry requirements to get into this job. However, there are courses you can do in nutritional therapy, which may help you learn some of the skills you need.
WorkDesc
The work
As a nutritional therapist, your work would start with a consultation with your clients. This would involve:
- taking a detailed medical history, covering their moods, stress levels, digestion, diet, exercise and family history
- conducting diagnostic tests, using hair samples and allergy testing
- encouraging clients to understand the link between diet and their own future health.
When you have a clear picture of your client's needs, you would then provide detailed, individual feedback that could focus on which foods to eliminate or increase, vitamin or mineral supplements and other lifestyle changes.
You could see people of all ages with problems relating to issues with their skin, digestion, stress, migraine, and allergies. Your clients could also include people with chronic illness or children with behavioural or weight problems.
HoursDesc
Hours
You would usually work in a health clinic or other therapeutic setting and occasionally in patients' homes. There are no set working hours. However, you may need to cover evenings and weekends to meet clients' needs.
There may be some travel involved in your normal working day as you are likely to have clients in more than one place or centre.
IncomeDesc
Income
Starting salaries can be around £15,000 a year. With experience this can rise to between £20,000 and £30,000 a year.
The majority of nutritional therapists are self-employed and charge an hourly rate, which can be between £40 and over £100 an hour.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
There is no statutory regulation within this area. However, you could increase your career prospects by working towards membership of a professional body, such as the Nutritional Therapy Council, and registration with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (see training section below for details).
The Nutritional Therapy Council (NTC) works closely with other professional bodies and the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) to regulate the practice of nutritional therapy. You can join the NTC based on your experience and training or by completing an NTC accredited course (these generally lead to a degree or diploma in nutritional therapy).
To get on to a course you will usually need:
- at least five GCSEs (A-C)
- two or three A levels, possibly including human biology or chemistry.
Alternative qualifications may also be accepted – check with course providers (listed on the NTC website) for details.
If you have a degree, you may be able to take a postgraduate course in nutritional therapy. However, some courses at this level target qualified medical practitioners or other state registered health care professionals, such as dentists, pharmacists, nurses or midwives.
Once you are on an NTC approved course, you will study areas such as health sciences, nutritional therapeutics and practice management. You will also usually have a minimum of 50 hours' supervised clinical practice with clients.
A driving licence will be useful for this work.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
You will be expected to keep your skills and knowledge up to date throughout your career. Membership of a professional body (such as the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) and the Wholistic Nutritional Medicine Society (WNMS)) would give you access to a range of development opportunities, networking events, and professional indemnity insurance – check their website for details.
Voluntary self-regulation
Organisations from a variety of complementary therapies, including nutritional therapy, have worked to create a single (voluntary) regulatory body, known as the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). The aim of the CNHC is to protect the public by registering practitioners, setting standards for safe practice and providing a means of redress if things go wrong.
It is anticipated that health professionals and the public will use the CNHC register to check if a therapist is of sufficient standard, so it may help your reputation and business if you are registered.
Nutritional therapy is one of the first areas to have access to the CNHC register. You can join via your professional body (check with them for details) or directly through the CNHC website.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
As a nutritional therapist you should have:
- sensitivity to the needs of your clients
- a genuine desire to help people
- the ability to understand scientific and nutritional concepts and information
- the ability to communicate complex information and treatment plans
- time management skills
- good listening and negotiation skills
- a logical approach to problem solving
- the ability to keep an emotional distance from clients
- an understanding of when to refer a patient to a conventional medical practitioner.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Register of Nutritional Therapists (RNT) 
18 Holder Road
Maidenbower
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 7HL
www.nutritionalmed.co.uk
Skills for Health
Goldsmiths House
Broad Plain
Bristol
BS2 0JP
Tel: 0117 922 1155
www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
Wholistic Nutritional Medicine Society (WNMS)
20 Palmerston Road
Farnborough
Kent
BR6 7ED
Tel: 020 7935 3533
www.wnms.org.uk
British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT)
27 Old Gloucester Street
London
WC1N 3XX
Tel: 0870 606 1284
www.bant.org.uk
Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)
83 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0HW
Tel: 0203 178 2199
www.cnhc.org.uk
Nutritional Therapy Council (NTC)
PO Box 6114
Bournemouth
BH1 9BL
www.nutritionaltherapycouncil.org.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
You may find opportunities for work within private practice, and occasionally with the prison service, NHS and mental health groups.
Your prospects will be greatest as a self-employed therapist. To be successful you need to build up and maintain a sound reputation and client base. You will need to be prepared to market your business, which may involve working long hours at first until you have established your practice.
Depending on your area of interest, you may be able to build up links with local healthcare providers and receive referrals from GPs and local maternity services. You may also find opportunities within health promotion or in areas such as sport development, the media and marketing.
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
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