Job responsibilities
Title: Podiatrist
Department: Foot Health Service
Grade: Band 5
Hours: 37.5
Responsible to: Head of Podiatry & Orthotics
Job Summary:
To work as part of an autonomous and innovative team specialising in foot and lower limb pathologies.
To implement individualised assessment and treatment programmes for patients with foot pathologies and/or medical needs. This will involve providing care within a range of locations, including clinical, domiciliary, hospital, and other external settings with an emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach.
To commit to a philosophy of a patient centred approach to care, with emphasis on client empowerment and self-care.
To work as a highly motivated team member within the podiatry and multidisciplinary team settings, also with external organisations, to achieve the best patient outcome.
To be responsible for the management of a Podiatric caseload, demonstrating a high level of knowledge and skills to ensure the provision of high quality care, whilst observing and implementing policies, guidelines and procedures of Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.
Key Result Areas & Performance:
Clinical Duties and Patient Care
To implement the individualised assessment, and treatment programmes for existing patients with a wide variety of Podiatric complaints. This may include:
- systemic diseases
- immunosuppressive disorders
- vascular and neurological disorders
- dermatological disorders
- chronic pathologies
- emergency treatments
- wound management
- musculo-skeletal disorders
- paediatric conditions
- deformities
- nail and skin pathologies.
To use clinical reasoning, critical thinking, reflection and analysis to support the assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning process.
To utilise evidence based material to assess, treat, implement, evaluate and document podiatric provision.
To ensure timely and appropriate referrals to specialist Podiatrists from within the department and outside (for example GPs, District Nursing, Hospital Acute Foot Clinic, Social services and voluntary organisations), facilitating safe and appropriate discharge where indicated.
To treat a wide variety of patient groups including those with special needs, housebound, children, elderly, adults, vulnerable groups and those from different cultural backgrounds with the possibility of communication barriers.
To undertake the assessment and treatment of patients with lower limb musculo-skeletal pathologies, where duties will include:
- The prescription, fabrication and evaluation of chair-side insoles/orthotics
- The prescription and evaluation of an appropriate exercise and stretching regime
To undertake minor surgery assessments and treatments, where duties will include:
- Nail surgery
- The use of local analgesia injection therapy to the lower limb, with the ability to manage anaphylactic shock if required
To participate in department rotations through areas of clinical speciality, for example, Nail surgery, University Hospital Lewisham Acute Foot Services Unit, Biomechanics Service, Low Level Laser Therapy.
To be actively involved in the provision of Foot Health education and appropriate specialist advice, delivering this sensitively to patients, relatives and carers.
To organise and participate in Health promotion activities and training events, to groups, colleagues, professionals and individuals.
To make frequent use of technology, where available, for measurement, monitoring and treatment using specialist complex equipment such as Doppler ultrasound, Sphygmomanometer, Neurothesiometer.
Clinical Governance
To observe, implement and adhere to professional standards of the Royal College of Podiatry and Health and Care Professions Council.
To observe, implement and adhere to all Trust polices and procedures including Health and Safety legislation, COSHH regulations, Workplace Risk Assessment, Infection Control, Sharps Policy, Movement and Handling, Personal Safety, Consent Policy.
To observe and be actively involved in the development and implementation of Lewisham Foot Health Services, Operational and Clinical Governance Plan, Policies, Procedures and Guidelines. To follow the above but have the discretion to make own clinical diagnosis and decisions within professional boundaries.
To contribute to the strategic development and improvement of existing services and facilitate the instigation of new service development by working as part of an innovative team
To report any accidents, complaints, defects in equipment, near misses and untoward incidents in accordance with Trust procedure and in a timely manner.
To collate statistical activity and information on service quality and participate in regular surveys and complex audits.
To participate and keep up to date with current best practice and take part in relevant evidence based research to inform clinical practices in and outside the department.
To attend all mandatory training sessions as required by the Trust.
To participate in the extensive Departmental Student Placement Programme providing experience in dealing with students and applying mentor and teaching skills. To supervise Foot Care Assistants and new staff, and take an active part in training, peer review, clinical supervision and professional development.
To analyse, interpret, report and present information and knowledge related to ideas and concepts. Involving the use of computerised data collection and entry onto format databases/spreadsheets, word processing and power point presentation to other team members and health professionals
To be committed to postgraduate study, training and life long learning in Podiatry and other health related topics. Reading relevant health material, reflective practice, case studies, training rotations/placements. To take an active involvement in the development of, and participation in, research. Attendance at departmental study days, as well as attendance at external courses/conferences, thereby broadening experience and continuing to develop clinical skills and professional knowledge.
To attend and actively contribute to departmental team meetings, regular 1:1 meetings with line manager/mentor, update sessions, training days and Away days.
To participate in the planning and delivery of departmental in-service training. Utilising ones own skills, understanding and knowledge to contribute and provide information to others to help their development
To maintain State Registration with Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC).
Work force
To work as a Band 5 Podiatrist, under the guidance and support of a band 7 Podiatrist, providing support and guidance to the assistant podiatrist supporting your caseload
To work autonomously whilst working in clinics and undertaking home visits, however utilising the support and advice of more senior staff, to support development of clinical practice and challenging patients/cases
To provide care in a variety of settings often involving the ability to work alone and independently, and also with the Podiatry team:
- Community Health Centres
- GP Practices
- Residential & Nursing Homes
- Patients Homes
- Day Centres
- Hospitals
- Mobile Podiatry Unit
- Hostels
- Schools
To have highly developed physical skills, precision hand/eye coordination requiring frequent concentration for prolonged periods. Utilising a comprehensive knowledge base in, for example, highly skilled debridement techniques.
To have the necessary skills to assess and when appropriate to move and handle patients who maybe immobile, wheelchair or bed-bound, often in confined spaces.
To plan and manage a housebound high-risk caseload with responsibility for prioritising need and to co-ordinate involvement of other health care professionals, social services, and voluntary services when need is identified.
To perform regular and ongoing risk assessments of working environments.
To work in environments which present highly unpleasant, impractical, challenging and compromising situations. This will involve the analysis and interpretation of several complex components, some of which may be conflicting, whilst using initiative and maintaining personal safety.
