Specialist Podiatrist

Job overview

Specialist Podiatrist Band 6 Permanent 22.5 Hours per week We are offering an exciting opportunity to join an established diabetic foot team at NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHL Group)  Aintree Hospital.  Our podiatry service provides high-quality specialist care to patients with complex foot health needs, including those with diabetes , vascular disease and other high-risk conditions.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated podiatrist who is well organised and is able to thrive in a busy clinical environment.  The role will involve managing a varied caseload and working as part of the MDFT clinics. You will have access to ongoing training and regular clinical supervision.

This is an excellent opportunity to be part of a supportive and patient focused team, that values clinical excellence and collaborative working.

Main duties of the job

As a Band 6 Podiatrist you will:

• Support the Podiatry lead in the delivery of an efficient and effective podiatry service .
• Work as part of the diabetic foot team providing a high standard of clinical care in a variety of hospital settings including inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Work as an autonomous practitioner and lone worker as part of the wider podiatry and multidisciplinary service, providing assessment and treatment planning/delivery to patients within agreed referral criteria.
• Assess and provide clearly planned podiatric care packages to patients with a variety of care needs, with the aim of maintaining maximum independence and mobility.
• Provide treatment for patients to maintain tissue viability and relieve pain; especially patients who require specialist care packages because they are at risk due to diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and peripheral vascular disease.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key responsibilities:

• Manage own caseload comprising of outpatient and ward patients, usually working in isolation and always as an autonomous practitioner.

• Assessment of new and existing patients in line with departmental protocols using judgements involving complex facts about the patient’s medical conditions and medication in relation to their podiatric needs. Treatment planning will require analysis of options and will be unpredictable.

• Develop treatment plans with expected outcomes and agree with patient how these outcomes may be best achieved. Provide specialist advice to patients including identified categories of patients eg.

diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, elderly fallers.

• Employ stringent control of cross infection and decontamination measures during daily exposure to infectious material ie wound/ulcer dressings, blood, pus or body fluid.

• Assess for orthotics following the orthotic services insoles and footwear pathways, make and provide chairside devices, prescribe bespoke orthotics and liaise with appropriate specialist.

• Assess, manufacture and fit insoles as part of the hospital orthotics service as required by service demand.

• Have the capability to move and handle patients who may be immobile, wheelchair or bed-bound.

• Provide health education advice including one to one advice and education to groups of peers, professionals and patients.

ADMINISTRATION

• To be responsible for maintaining legible and comprehensive patient records.

• To be responsible for maintaining timely accurate and legible patient records.

• To be responsible for dictating letters to GPs following assessment of patient.

• To be responsible for timely input of ward activity into the patient information system (currently IPM)

• To be responsible for the ordering and control of stock in a designated area.

• Check  equipment  and  report  faults  to  ensure  speedy

repair/replacement.

• To report sickness absence and return to duty in the agreed manner.

• To be responsible for the timely submission of own travel claim forms.

• Undertake team orientated duties as delegated by the team leader e.g. managing timetables or rotas for team.

COMMUNICATION

• Communicate effectively with patients and carers to take a relevant medical history and obtain diagnostic information and informed consent, by informing, explaining, persuading and motivating.  Some patients may find understanding difficult because of barriers such as old age, infirmity, hearing loss, pain, fear and language or learning difficulties.

• Have the ability to use the decision making process to identify when patients require the intervention of other professional and/or Clinical Specialist Podiatrists, by following agreed departmental referral pathways.

• Provide appropriate foot health education and advice to patients on a one to one basis and groups of patients, e.g. diabetic groups, mother & toddler clubs, community groups, in partnership with external organisations and voluntary agencies.

• Liaise with other health care professionals i.e. GPs, nurses, health visitors, physiotherapists, dieticians, as part of the multi-disciplinary team, sharing skills and knowledge.

• Have the ability to diffuse conflict in confrontational/stressful situations e.g. complaints over the telephone or face to face, regarding length of waiting lists, long appointment waiting times, patients attending clinics at the wrong time, day or place.
• Liaise closely with admin & clerical staff in a clear and concise manner. Manage distressing situations e.g. dealing with terminally ill patients, patients pre / post amputation or patients recently bereaved  Employ good listening and supervisory skills when undertaking personal development reviews of junior staff.   PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT / TRAINING   Maintain and develop own standards of care, identifying own training needs and using the latest research as guidance.   Share good practice, using own and others experience, identify poor practice or quality issues and alert professional lead.   Participate in regular Performance Development Review and review junior staff.   Participate in clinical supervision being both a supervisor and supervisee as appropriate.   Participate and undertake clinical audits/ surveys as identified by professional lead.   Participate in the development, implementation and review of departmental policies, proposing changes in line with latest evidence based practice.   Participate in student training and footcare assistant training (where applicable).   Participate and deliver in service training as appropriate.   To maintain and update own professional portfolio and maintain continuous professional development in line with the requirements of the Health Professions Council for registration.   To participate in research within the department/ Trust as requested by the professional lead.   To undertake mandatory annual training including CPR, manual handling and fire lectures.
• Manage distressing situations e.g. dealing with terminally ill patients, patients pre / post amputation or patients recently bereaved
• Employ good listening and supervisory skills when undertaking personal development reviews of junior staff.
• Maintain and develop own standards of care, identifying own training needs and using the latest research as guidance.
• Share good practice, using own and others experience, identify poor practice or quality issues and alert professional lead.
• Participate in regular Performance Development Review and review junior staff.
• Participate in clinical supervision being both a supervisor and supervisee as appropriate.
• Participate and undertake clinical audits/ surveys as identified by professional lead.
• Participate in the development, implementation and review of departmental policies, proposing changes in line with latest evidence based practice.
• Participate in student training and footcare assistant training (where applicable).
• Participate and deliver in service training as appropriate.
• To maintain and update own professional portfolio and maintain continuous professional development in line with the requirements of the Health Professions Council for registration.
• To participate in research within the department/ Trust as requested by the professional lead.
• To undertake mandatory annual training including CPR, manual handling and fire lectures.