Acute Podiatrist

Job overview

To provide highly specialised podiatric care for patients attending the Diabetic Foot Clinic.  The Diabetic Foot Clinic is a podiatry-led, multidisciplinary service which provides specialist foot care for high- risk patients with complex foot pathologies resulting from the complications of diabetes. This role is an opportunity to broaden and apply further specialist knowledge and skills within the MDT.

The post holder will be expected to actively contribute as part of the multidisciplinary team including vascular and orthopaedic clinics. As such, the post holder is also an educator to patients and their carers, other health care professionals including, medical, surgical, podiatric, nursing, physiotherapy and social services and other staff when appropriate.

Key Working Relationships

Matrons, Heads of Nursing, Medical Consultants, Surgeons, Allied Health Professionals, General Managers, Service managers, Pharmacists, Patient involvement groups, Doctors, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurses and Health Care Assistants.

Main duties of the job

Act as a role model and clinical expert within diabetic foot management, promoting and demonstrating first class care through evidence-based practice and research.

Take a lead on clinical care by independently managing a patient caseload with support from the multidisciplinary team and Diabetic Foot Practitioner.

Ensure that where appropriate each patient has a comprehensive wound assessment undertaken and a referral is made to the appropriate speciality.

Support the MDT by facilitating the booking of investigations and interpretation of results.

Act as an expert in the use of specific treatments and advanced wound techniques including sharp debridement of wounds, vac & larvae therapy.

Provide advice on the most appropriate pressure relieving devices for specific conditions including liaison with the orthotics department for appropriate footwear provision.

Provide advice to the MDT on the most appropriate IV antibiotic therapy protocols for diabetic foot infections

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical practice

• Act as a role model and clinical expert within diabetic foot management, promoting and demonstrating first class care through evidence-based practice and research.
• Take a lead on clinical care by independently managing a patient caseload with support from the multidisciplinary team and Diabetic Foot Practitioner.
• Ensure that where appropriate each patient has a comprehensive wound assessment undertaken and a referral is made to the appropriate speciality.
• Support the MDT by facilitating the booking of investigations and interpretation of results.
• Act as an expert in the use of specific treatments and advanced wound techniques including sharp debridement of wounds, vac & larvae therapy.
• Provide advice on the most appropriate pressure relieving devices for specific conditions including liaison with the orthotics department for appropriate footwear provision.
• Provide advice to the MDT on the most appropriate IV antibiotic therapy protocols for diabetic foot infections
• Carry out measurements of transcutaneous oxygen tension pre and post angioplasty and post bypass surgery
• Co-ordinate and participate in diabetic foot ward rounds and present patients and their test results
• In conjunction with the Diabetic Foot Specialist Nurse organise weekly early intervention vascular diabetic foot outpatient clinics and present patients and their vascular test results (Fridays)
• Run early discharge clinics for complex patients in order to reduce length of stay for inpatients.
• Support with joint podiatry-orthotic clinics to support patients to receive footwear in timely manner
• Review and triage acute inpatient referrals from wards including A&E and SDEC.
• To liaise with the Ward Clerks to facilitate the correct stock levels of specialist dressings.
• Identify areas of poor practice and respond appropriately ensuring the delivery of safe and effective practice
• Work closely with PCTs, Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist and podiatry services to ensure continuity of care post discharge.

Education and Training

• Develop and participate in local ward based and trust wide education programmes for the MDT on general diabetic foot care and management
• Educate and advise patients and their significant others on all aspects of diabetic foot care.
• Contribute and participate in teaching on postgraduate courses.
• Contribute to annual study days for the tissue viability link nurses, diabetes link nurses, physiotherapists, medical students, etc

Leadership

• Maintain a comprehensive database on all diabetic foot in patient activities
• Support the Diabetic Foot Practitioner to carry out an evaluation of database content and statistical analysis of activities for presentation at MDT meetings and grand rounds
• Support the Diabetic Foot Practitioner to prepare annual reports of diabetic foot activities and standards of care for evaluation by medical care group management.
• Participate in pertinent research projects regarding diabetic foot in-patients.

Research and Service Development

• To promote and facilitate evidence-based practice and clinical audit within the Trust, raising the profile and enhancing the contribution of allied health professional to patient care and informing business and service development plans.
• To participate in and assist with any appropriate/relevant Trust approved research projects conducted within the department.
• To promote diabetes research and evidenced based practice relevant to the speciality
• To lead on audit/benchmarking within own specialist area.
• To utilise and maintain information systems to aid audit and to provide regular activity analysis report.