South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist Podiatrist

This job is now closed

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic podiatrist to join our progressive podiatry team. This post involves working with the diabetes team working with patients with wound care and poor tissue viability & also in Rehabilitation podiatry including Nail Surgery, MSK, Neurology &Rheumatology

We are part of South Warwickshire Foundation Trust but mainly cover a rural community with concentrated pockets of population. The area has a diverse ethnic demographic with a high prevalence of diabetes as well as other chronic health conditions, making the caseload interesting and challenging. There are opportunities to gain experience in a variety of clinical settings

The service has open access and provides care to all who have a clinical need.

Clinics are based at 10 health centers and 2 acute units across Warwickshire, therefore a car owner / driver is desirable. We have Service level agreements with neighboring trusts across the STP

The service has leads for Diabetes/ Wound Care & Nail Surgery, MSK & Rheumatology, Mental health and Neurology.

We are committed to lifelong learning and continued professional development of all staff. We also provide reflective supervision and CPD days.

We are happy to support newly qualified podiatrists through preceptorship

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for a specialised caseload involving the implementation and coordination of specialised treatment regimens involving specialist podiatric care andpatient management programmes.The post holder will have knowledge in the specialist area and possess a highlevel of clinical competence and clinical diagnostic skills, whilst treating a variedclientele including children with learning difficulties and anyone with limb / footdeformities which affects mobility and function.The post holder will possess excellent communication skills and have the ability towork across professional boundaries to ensure best care for patients withspecialist podiatric care needs. The post holder will be an autonomous practitionerwith well-developed clinical skills and maintain a high level of knowledge andexperience whilst treating complex foot problems.And provide the highest quality of podiatric care to those patients whose feet areassessed as being "at risk" (in line with departmental guidelines). This may requirethe post holder to use their own judgement to alter the treatment plan to suitindividual patient's needs. If problems arise beyond the scope of this post thepatient must be referred to a more experienced podiatrist.o This service provides care to the patient with predominantly high risk feet

About us

Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Date posted

29 February 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£28,407 to £42,618 a year pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

203-SS796

Job locations

Cape Road

Cape road Clinic

Warwick

CV34 4JP

Job description

Job responsibilities

To prioritise and evaluate patient referrals to the podiatry service, for their appropriateness and to identify to the principal podiatrist any deficiencies.

To be responsible for the assessment and review of patients with specialist podiatric care needs to plan and manage own caseload and that of junior staff and podiatry assistants.

To identify any concerns or training requirements of staff in specialist podiatric care to the principal podiatrist and to help develop and provide these training needs appropriately.

To develop treatment plans in consultation with the patient. This is to include exercise programmes and / or orthotic provision.

To maintain the podiatry departments policies and procedures with regards to this specialist area.

To ensure current best practice is included and updated in all clinical policies in this specialist area.

To make the principal podiatrist aware of any issues / problems regarding service delivery in this specialist area.

To assist in the monitoring of referral & treatment statistics, ensuring the service is delivered in a cost-effective efficient manner.

To act as a resource for clinicians within the department and deliver training programmes as necessary in this specialist area.

To be able to undertake a detailed podiatric assessment and, diagnose and formulate specialised treatment regimens for all patients referred and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment given.

To assist in the development of protocols for treatment of common conditions within the speciality.

To liaise with other health professionals in primary care i.e. physiotherapists, Orthotists

To be responsible for mentoring / training students, junior staff and colleagues who are on rotation / placement.

General Clinical Duties

To lead Podiatry clinical sessions in accordance with SOCAP Minimum standards for clinical practice.

To cover other specialist podiatry clinics containing a wide range of patients, including: high risk diabetics, chronic neuropathy, chronic diseases i.e. rheumatoid arthritis, vascular problems, wound management / tissue viability, and terminally ill patients.

To use highly developed physical skills, precision hand eye co-ordination in safe and effective scalpel technique when debriding ulcers and callosities, involving highly unpleasant substances i.e., body fluids.

To provide care in a range of primary and secondary care settings most of which are in isolation. Often working in difficult conditions, which involve the moving and handling of patients who may be immobile, wheelchair or bed bound.

To provide nail surgery assessments and procedures under local anaesthetic with use of phenol, and re-dressings, necessitating the need for a certificate in local anaesthesia.

To be responsible for prioritising patients according to their medical and podiatric needs, into low / medium / high / urgent risk categories in order to supervise their level of care / speciality into the service.

To plan, organise and undertake a home visiting caseload and health education talks, and facilitate discharge planning of patients.

To maintain accurate records of all patient consultations and related work.

To facilitate and present the podiatry patient education talks that will influence patients attitudes and change their historical mind set towards their foot health and evaluate these sessions.

To ensure the maintenance and security of clinical stock, IT equipment, all health promotion and educational resources.

To ensure effective communication of complex information to patients and their relatives and carers to bring about a change in attitude and patient empowerment, utilising excellent negotiation and interpersonal and have the ability to deal sensitively with angry /distressed clients and diffuse potentially volatile situations. This may involve giving unwelcome news to patients or carers about the deterioration of foot pathology.

To work within infection control guidelines to ensure that therapy/treatment/care does not constitute a risk of infection either to the healthcare professional to the client or to any persons visiting/working in NHS premises. To work in clinics, which may be isolated, hospitals, residential homes, and patients homes, liaising with other health care professionals involved with the patient whenever necessary.

Professional Duties

To maintain a registration with the Health Care Professional Council.

To work within the HCPC code of conduct, SWFT. Policies and procedures, with awareness of all government NHS agendas and National Service Frameworks.

To develop and maintain further competencies in the field of Diabetes care & vascular care in the Podiatry department in developing & implementing vascular clinics within a podiatry setting.

Commitment to CPD and lifelong learning is essential in the regular attendance at recognised conferences and courses as well as mandatory training / updates and staff meetings.

To keep up to date with advances in Diabetes care/ Vascular Care and to disseminate such knowledge to other care staff and members of the podiatry department.

To attend, present at and represent the department at meetings to raise the profile and market podiatry services when required to do so.

To adhere to trust policies and procedures at all times and make suggestions and comments where appropriate.

To take all reasonable steps to manage and promote a safe and healthy working environment which is free from discrimination.

To comply with the Trust policy on confidentiality, and the data protection act of 1998 as amended, relating to information held manually or on computerised systems.

To respect the confidentiality, equality, diversity and privacy of clients and staff at all time.

To participate in a Personal Development Plan with the advanced podiatrist.

To carry out personal development review of podiatrists where appropriate.

To initiate and undertake regular audit review programmes to ensure delivery of best practice.