Diabetes Specialist Podiatrist

The Methodist Church in Britain; Ruislip; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Diabetes Specialist Podiatrist to manage a high-risk caseload and deliver diabetic foot care across community and hospital settings.

You will work within the Hillingdon Podiatry team, providing education to staff and patients, and coordinating care with diabetologists and other specialists. NHS experience in high-risk feet is essential.

Qualifications

• Diploma or BSc (Hons) in Podiatry.
• Certificate for Local Anaesthesia.
• RCOP diabetic foot module or equivalent.
• HCPC registration.
• Extensive postgraduate NHS experience with high-risk diabetic feet and complex wound care.
• Experience of educating healthcare professionals.
• Multidisciplinary working across primary and secondary care.

Responsibilities

• Manage a high-risk caseload autonomously within the MDT.
• Provide specialist care for complex diabetic foot problems.
• Accept urgent referrals from GPs and hospital colleagues.
• Deliver diabetes and high-risk foot care across clinics, wards and home visits.
• Lead care planning between hospital and community providers.
• Educate staff and patients on diabetes and foot care.
• Debride wounds and apply wound management principles.
• Assess gait and orthotic provision.
• Interpret investigations and coordinate with teams.
• Undertake nail surgery.

Skills

Diabetes foot care

Wound care management

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Education & training

Patient education

Education

Diploma or BSc (Hons) in Podiatry

Certificate for Local Anaesthesia

RCOP diabetic foot module or equivalent

Job description

This Diabetes Specialist Podiatrist post sits in the Hillingdon Podiatry team at Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, covering community high-risk clinics and the multidisciplinary foot team at Hillingdon Hospital. The clinician manages a high-risk caseload of complex diabetic foot wounds and infections, and takes urgent referrals from GPs and hospital colleagues. Work also includes musculoskeletal podiatry, nail surgery and teaching diabetic foot care to staff and patients, across clinics and some home visits.

What the job involves

• Clinically responsible for a high-risk caseload, working autonomously and as part of the multidisciplinary team
• Provide specialist care for complex high-risk foot problems, including acute and chronic diabetic wounds, active osteomyelitis, Charcot neuroarthropathy, neuropathic and vascular complications, and immunosuppressed or…
• Accept emergency and direct referrals from GPs, community podiatrists, other health professionals, consultants, nurses and A&E under agreed criteria
• Provide diabetes and high-risk foot care in outpatients, on wards, in community clinics and in patients' own homes
• Lead care planning jointly between hospital and community providers
• Provide education to healthcare staff and patients on diabetes and diabetic foot care
• Debride and manage acute, chronic, neuropathic and ischaemic wounds, applying wound management principles
• Assess, diagnose and treat musculoskeletal and biomechanical conditions, including gait analysis and orthotic provision
• Interpret investigations such as microbiology, x-ray and scans, and act on the results
• Work with diabetologists, vascular and orthopaedic surgeons, microbiology, radiology, orthotics and the plaster room
• Undertake nail surgery

What’s required

Qualifications

• Diploma or BSc (Hons) in Podiatry
• Certificate for Local Anaesthesia
• RCOP diabetic foot module or equivalent

Registration & licences

• HCPC registration

Experience

• Extensive postgraduate NHS experience with high-risk diabetic feet and complex wound care
• Experience of educating healthcare professionals
• Multidisciplinary working across primary and secondary care

Skills & knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of the effects of diabetes on podiatric care
• Wound care, biomechanics and pressure offloading in the high-risk foot
• Current evidence base, best practice and appropriate investigations for the high-risk foot
• Experience of foot health education and promotion
• Knowledge of national diabetic foot policy and of a diverse population

Checks & eligibility

• Car driver or owner, to travel between clinics in the Hillingdon area

Other

• Effective organisational skills and ability to prioritise own workload
• Excellent communication, IT, negotiation and interpersonal skills
• Regular involvement in audit or R&D

Nice to have

• IRMER
• Clinical masters degree
• Woundcare course
• Independent prescriber status
• Experience of delivering a patient education package

What’s offered

• Career development opportunities