Acute Podiatrist

King's College Hospital; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable hospital in the UK seeks an expert in diabetic foot management to deliver specialised podiatric care across multiple sites. The successful candidate will manage a patient caseload, educate healthcare professionals, and promote the role of podiatry in the community. Responsibilities include advanced treatment techniques and providing high-quality care through evidence-based practice. Candidates should possess extensive knowledge in diabetic foot conditions and experience in a multidisciplinary setting. This position offers opportunities for professional development and contribution to research.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in managing diabetic foot conditions.
• Strong knowledge of advanced assessment and diagnostic techniques for foot pathologies.
• Ability to educate other healthcare professionals on diabetic foot care.

Responsibilities

• Deliver podiatry services across multiple sites.
• Act as a clinical expert in diabetic foot management.
• Educate patients and healthcare professionals on diabetic foot care.

Skills

Podiatry experience

Diabetic foot care expertise

Team collaboration

Patient education

Education

Degree in Podiatry

Tools

Advanced wound care techniques

Job description

To provide highly specialised podiatric care for patients attending the Diabetic Foot Clinic. The Diabetic Foot Clinic is a podiatry-led, multidisciplinary, tertiary referral unit which provides expert specialist foot care, advanced assessment and diagnostic techniques for high risk patients with complex foot pathologies resulting from the complications of diabetes.

The post holder will be expected to deliver a podiatry service across multiple sites, enabling expert patient care to be carried out within the local community health care settings, ensuring the administration of a high standard and quality of foot care, escalating to the acute MDT and a step down to local services as required and following an established pathway of expert care. 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. The post holder will be expected to promote the role and scope of podiatry, locally, nationally and internationally.

Responsibilities

1. Act as a role model and clinical expert within diabetic foot management, promoting and demonstrating first class care through evidence based practice and research.
2. Take a lead on clinical care by independently managing a patient caseload trust wide with support from the multidisciplinary team.
3. Ensure that where appropriate each patient has a comprehensive wound assessment undertaken and a referral is made to the appropriate speciality.
4. Support the MDT by facilitating the booking of investigations and interpretation of results.
5. Act as an expert in the use of specific treatments and advanced wound techniques including sharp debridement of wounds, vac & larvae therapy.
6. Provide advice on the most appropriate pressure relieving devices for specific conditions including liaison with the orthotics department for appropriate footwear provision.
7. Carry out measurements of transcutaeneous oxygen tension pre and post angioplasty and post by-pass surgery.
8. Run early discharge clinics for complex patients in order to reduce length of stay for inpatients.
9. Attend weekly angiography meetings and present diabetic foot patients medical history and feedback results to MDT.
10. Identify areas of poor practice and respond appropriately ensuring the delivery of safe and effective practice.
11. Work closely with PCTs, Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist and podiatry services to ensure continuity of care.

Education

1. Develop and participate in local ward based and trust wide education programmes for the MDT on general diabetic foot care and management.
2. Educate and advise patients and their significant others on all aspects of diabetic foot care.
3. Contribute and participate in teaching on postgraduate courses.
4. Contribute to annual study days for the tissue viability link nurses, diabetes link nurses, physiotherapists, 3^rd year medical students, etc.

Management

1. Carry out an evaluation of database content and statistical analysis of activities for presentation at MDT meetings and grand rounds.
2. Prepare annual reports of diabetic foot activities and standards of care for evaluation by medical care group management.

Professional

1. Keep professionally updated with current thinking and available research and new and current issues within the podiatry profession.
2. Contribute to the body of knowledge within the field of podiatry by publishing the in patient data and submit abstracts on latest innovations to appropriate conferences.
3. Ensure that an annual performance review is undertaken.
4. Take responsibility for own professional development.
5. Take part in national interest groups to exchange knowledge and ideas.

General

1. The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
2. To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
3. To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
4. To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
5. This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.