Shirley Crawford

Shirley Crawford is Oncology Team Lead Dietitian for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with 16 years’ experience in community, acute, and specialist services. She qualified as a dietitian at Glasgow Caledonian University in 2010 and began her career in community roles within NHS Tayside and NHS Ayrshire & Arran.

As one of the first dietitians to work with Ayrshire’s Rapid Response Intermediate Care and Enablement (ICE) Team, she supported rehabilitation at home, helping patients maintain their independence and avoid hospital admission. After moving to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde in 2013, she worked in cystic fibrosis and older adult services before gaining her first oncology experience in 2014.

The following year, she secured a Band 6 role in head and neck oncology, developing her specialism in head and neck cancer and a particular interest in enteral feeding. In this role, she provided patient-centred nutritional care throughout the cancer pathway. In 2019, Shirley undertook a quality improvement role in Addiction Services, where she worked with addiction nursing colleagues to establish a new outpatient nutrition service.

This further developed her skills in leadership and service development. She returned to head and neck oncology in 2021 and was appointed Oncology Team Lead Dietitian in 2023. She now leads the Oncology Dietetics Team, supporting service delivery, workforce development, and the provision of high-quality nutritional care for people throughout their cancer journey.