Advanced Specialist Podiatrist

Job overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, dynamic community podiatry team delivering high-quality care across West Essex.

We are seeking an experienced, motivated and forward-thinking Podiatrist ( band 6 career progression considered) with expertise in wound care and some knowledge of MSK podiatry to join our friendly and progressive service. You will manage a high-risk caseload across a range of community and clinical settings, providing assessment, diagnosis and treatment.

The role includes work within specialist clinics including Diabetes, Wound Care, Nail Surgery and Musculoskeletal Podiatry, alongside close working with Podiatric Surgery, Tissue Viability, Patient Appliances and the Multidisciplinary Diabetic Foot Team at Princess Alexandra Hospital.

You will be required to work both independently and as part of a team, demonstrating strong clinical decision-making, communication and organisational skills. A flexible approach is essential to meet service needs.

You’ll be joining a service where staff are valued and well supported, with real opportunities to influence service delivery and your ongoing professional development.

Main duties of the job

ROLE SUMMARY

As an advanced specialist podiatrist you will act as an autonomous practitioner providing  assessment, diagnosis and treatment within specialist clinics including Diabetes, Wound Care, Nail Surgery and MSK Podiatry , working closely with multidisciplinary teams, including Podiatric Surgery, Tissue Viability, Patient Appliances and the Multidisciplinary Diabetic Foot Team at Princess Alexandra Hospital.

You will demonstrate strong clinical, communication and organisational skills, and be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Flexibility is essential to meet service needs.

To provide an experienced advanced resource and leadership to the Podiatry team taking a developmental and operational lead as required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• To be part of a self and highly motivated multi-disciplinary team communicating within the team and advising patients, who may have a barrier to understanding.
• Attendance at times and places stated on the rota as determined by the team lead.
• Provide support to the team lead and service manager and deputise when required in the daily operational management for the team, including assisting/amending the team rota, prioritising patients that need to be seen during times of staff sickness. Also supporting and advising the podiatry administrative team with daily queries.
• Working both in the community including patients’ homes and hospital settings as an independent autonomous professional and managing the departmental caseload, excising judgement in the initiation and management of change.  To be responsible for the treatment given to patients on the caseload, but to be prepared to seek and accept professional support and guidance from senior staff.

As an advanced specialist podiatrist use advanced knowledge to assess and treat  complex cases in a holistic way and motivate others to work in a similar way and be a source of advice for these specialist areas.

To be responsible individually for the assessment , diagnosis ,planning, implementation   and evaluation of Podiatric care to a wide variety of ‘high risk’ patients with a wide range of clinical needs at an advanced level, developed through in-depth experience , specifically in diabetes and wound care, MSK podiatry and nail surgery.

You will be responsible for undertaking patient consultations and treatment which will include MSK/vascular. neurological examinations, exercises, orthoses (off the shelf and custom) prescription, diagnostic imaging(x-ray, US,MRI,NCS/EMG and blood tests.) The MSK Podiatry service also offers injection therapy (anatomical and some guided) and extracorporeal shockwave therapy. We support training and development into each of these areas.

5      To identify when patients require interventions from other professionals and/or departmental specialists following agreed referral pathways and adhere to eligibility criteria.

6      To provide foot health advice and education to patients and their relatives/carers and other Healthcare Professionals.

Responsible for providing education to other podiatrists, to health care professionals in areas of speciality within the trust and local region.

7      To be responsible for the maintenance, security and control of stock and the routine day-day cleaning and simple maintenance of all Podiatry equipment in their charge, as appropriate to each item of equipment.

8      To participate in departmental nail surgery as required.

9      To perform diabetic and high-risk assessment review clinics, where duties will include the assessment of foot pathology using appropriate equipment, Doppler evaluation and sensory/motor evaluation to identify risk factors, allowing the appropriate categorisation of high-risk patients.

10   To be involved in the implementation of departmental policies and procedures and to suggest changes to these.

Monitor policies, procedures and protocols , regularly reviewing proposing changes and amending those relating to nail surgery and wound dressings to ensure up to date and safe patient care, changes made will impact on other team members working in specialist areas.

11   To follow departmental policies and procedures and guidelines, but to use own clinical judgement in diagnosis and decisions within professional boundaries.

12   To have the capability to move and handle patients who may be immobile, wheelchair or bed bound, often in confined spaces.

13   To advise and arrange, dependent on your professional judgement and clinic need, follow-up patient appointments as appropriate.

14   To be manually dextrous and co-ordinated enough to use a sharp scalpel technique in debriding skin lesions/ulceration involving tendon, bone or joint and in close proximity to blood vessels.

15   To be cognisant of relevant anatomy and skilled when injecting parenteral drugs.

16   To supervise podiatry assistants and students in the clinical environment.

Responsible for providing clinical/professional supervision to junior team members in the form of formal training, clinical reasoning sessions and direct observation of practice.

To supervise, train and monitor students on placement within specialities and sign off competencies in nail surgery for students and also assist in organising student placements.

• Undertake the role ‘duty podiatrist’ if required responsible for the day to day smooth running of clinics which involves daily triaging of referrals, dealing with health professional and patient enquiries into the service, cascading information to the team, dealing with local complaints.

18.To be responsible for leading advanced areas of work taking referrals of a highly complex nature that are beyond the scope of practice of less advanced colleagues and to be a source of advice for specialist areas of MSK podiatry ,diabetes/wound care, and nail surgery.

• To demonstrate and apply a sound understanding of clinical governance and risk management.
• To act professionally in relation to customer care and contribute to investigations/responses to any complaints in line with Trust policy.
• To decide priorities for own work area balancing patient related and professional demands ensuring these remain service led.
• To be able to adapt to regular interruptions from phone calls from other health professionals or junior staff requiring advice on patient care.
• Be able to work on own initiative, be assertive and proactive in service developments.
• Contribute to longer term service planning to ensure the quality of services is maintained and cost improvement opportunities.

Health & Safety

• To report any accidents, complaints, defects in equipment, near misses and untoward incidents following the Trust procedure.
• To ensure that health and safety legislation is complied with at all times, including COSHH work risk assessment and control of infection.
• Undertake general work place risk assessments in areas of work and assist team lead with health and safety inspections, infection control and pharmacy audits.
• To attend all mandatory training sessions as required.

Research and Development

• To participate in audit activities and development of outcomes.

Work with the team lead towards implementing local and national audits and presenting findings of audit and research.

Responsible for leading audits in areas of speciality.

• To keep up to date and apply relevant evidence based research findings to practice.
• To be involved in research and development including possible new alternative ways of working particularly in specialist area of nail surgery.
• To participate in the departmental clinic governance initiatives and the development and implementation of standards, guidelines, policies and protocols.

Professional Development

• To maintain registration with the HPC
• To work within the HPC Standards of Conduct Performance and Ethics and  EPUT  Policies and Procedures.
• To participate actively in continuing professional development.

Incorporate new trends and developments within specialities into practice.

To be an active member of in-service training programmes.

To attend and contribute as appropriate at staff meetings, training sessions, courses, other CPD activities and undertake reflective practice, particularly in areas of speciality.

• To develop new skills and maintain and update existing skills.
• To participate in individual performance review/appraisal.
• To ensure high quality delivery of podiatry service and fulfil CPD requirements identified through appraisal process. Expected to rotate in specialist areas within the department.
• To supervise assistant / technical grades and to take part in training of students and basic grade podiatrists, acting as a mentor when appropriate.

Responsible for providing clinical/professional supervision to junior team members in the form of formal training, clinical reasoning sessions and direct observation of practice.

To supervise, train and monitor students on placement within specialities and sign off competencies in nail surgery for students and also assist in organising student placements.

• To participate in observational placement of HPC recognised schools of podiatry students.
• To participate in peer review and professional development.
• To participate in planning and delivery of departmental in-service training

COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

1.To maintain accurate records of all patient consultations and related work carried out at    each  clinical session including audit and other data collection.

2.To communicate complex information with patients, colleagues, administrative staff, other health care professionals. This may involve a range of verbal and non- verbal communication tools.

• To demonstrate highly developed skills of reasoning and persuasion when communicating with patients, relatives, carers when there are barriers to understanding. Considerable negotiation, persuasive skills and empathy and sensitivity are required. e.g discussion re lower limb amputation.

4.To provide specialised advice to community based podiatry colleagues and other members of the MDT working within other clinical areas and primary care.