Specialist Podiatrist

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and highly motivated Podiatrist to join the Bexley Community Podiatry Team.  We are a friendly and close-knit team who takes pride in what we do.

Bexley Podiatry is within the Oxleas Trust which was included in the Sunday Times Top 10 Best place to work list 2023. In 2023 it was named the Best Place to work in the country for people with disabilities and also won the prestigious HSJ Trust of the Year Award.

Bexley Podiatry is a high-risk service which is close to the London Borough of Greenwich.

You will be seeking a role as a Podiatrist where you can use and develop your skills and knowledge across our service. You will develop strong links and working relationships with acute hospital trusts, and you will have the opportunity to rotate into these services.  Bexley Podiatry runs clinics alongside Diabetologists and Diabetic specialist nurses. We have a close working relationship with Diabetes specialist nurses, District nurses, Tissue Viability and the MSK services.

Main duties of the job

This post will involve working within clinical settings as well as carrying out domiciliary visits.  A car and/ or the ability to move around the borough is essential to this role. You will be responsible for the planning and delivery of care plans in patients which are at high risk of developing foot complications. You will work with patients who have foot ulcerations, make onward referrals to vascular services, refer into the Diabetes MDT service and acute services. You will have the opportunity to work within the Diabetes Specialist nurse MDT and sit on the vascular phone calls with the acute MDFT.  You will attend handover with the district nurses and manage your domiciliary ulcer caseload.

You will undertake nail surgery and carry out new patient assessments.

You will undertake clinical audits as required by the service. You will also have the opportunity to become involved in Quality improvement projects. You will have access to Podiatry CPD training events, both in house and external and you will have regular clinical supervision.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This position will be based in the community and will involve regular travel throughout the Boroughs of Bexley, to different clinic sites and to visit patients in their own homes & care and nursing homes.

Clinical

• To provide assessment and the full range of podiatry treatments to clients in community and outreach clinics, hospital, client’s home, Health Centres, Care Homes and Day Centres. This will include wound dressings, scalpel debridement of nail & soft tissue pathology & care of foot problems resulting from neglect & lack of self-care.
• To work as an autonomous practitioner, developing & agreeing treatment plans individually with clients. Support from senior staff is provided.
• To develop treatment plans and discharge plans through an agreed contract with each client, and to follow through the treatment plan with an end result of improved foot pathology & discharge where appropriate.
• To assess all clients at every visit and refer to specialist services as appropriate.
• To prescribe, and manufacture, orthoses/insoles/appliances/and shoe adaptations when required using the laboratory equipment.
• To prescribe, manufacture and fit chair side biomechanical and functional devices when clinically indicated.
• To participate in the work of specialist teams when and where required, undertaking a high risk patient caseload. To rotate through the three Podiatric Specialist teams (wound care, musculoskeletal & surgical) to constantly update clinical skills & knowledge to a high standard.
• To work within patient homes, and other environments of poor conditions, with exposure to bodily fluids.
• To be responsible for protection of health and wellbeing of all clients. Alert others to concerns where protection may be required for both children and vulnerable adults.
• To appropriately refer clients to specialist teams within the department whenever needed (for nail surgery, biomechanical assessment etc.) and appropriately refer clients within primary care, Community or Acute for investigation, diagnosis or treatment.
• Dealing sensitively and appropriately with a client caseload with complex health needs, assisting individuals to manage their health needs effectively.
• To work within primary, secondary and community care teams to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to improvement of foot pathology.
• Always aiming to achieve with each client maximum independence through self-care and effective client management.