Highly Specialist MSK Foot and Ankle Practitioner MSKAPS

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is looking for a Highly Specialist MSK Foot and Ankle Practitioner to deliver high-quality clinical care to complex cases in Gloucestershire. You will conduct assessments, manage your clinical caseload, and work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team across various community hospital sites. This full-time position requires relevant qualifications and NHS experience. A commitment to personalized patient care is essential, along with excellent communication skills.

Benefits

Supportive team environment

Continuous professional development opportunities

Employee engagement initiatives

Qualifications

• Experience of managing a complex caseload, including highly complex patients.
• Registered with the HCPC and not subject to any cautions.
• Evidence of teaching and mentoring colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Conduct complex assessments of MSK foot and ankle conditions.
• Formulate clinical management plans collaboratively.
• Perform clinical triage of foot and ankle referrals.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Complex case management

Therapeutic injection techniques

Education

Diploma/degree in podiatry or physiotherapy

Relevant MSK postgraduate qualification/training at Masters level

Tools

MRI and Ultrasound interpretation

Rheumatology knowledge

Job description

Go back Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist MSK Foot and Ankle Practitioner MSKAPS

The closing date is 28 December 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a permanent full time (37.5 hours per week) MSK podiatrist or physiotherapist with a foot and ankle specialism to join the MSK Advanced Practice interface service.

We are looking for an experienced MSK podiatrist/physiotherapist with evidence of appropriate postgraduate CPD and NHS experience, to work within our supportive team.

The successful applicant will work across the county, delivering high quality clinical care to a complex foot and ankle caseload. They will be responsible for the triage of foot and ankle referrals into the single point of access MSK Specialist Triage service as well as the management of their own clinical caseload, including administering joint injections and requesting appropriate diagnostic investigations where required.

They will work closely with colleagues across the wider MSK pathway, developing robust relationships with core podiatrists, surgical and other MSK colleagues. They will help to support and develop colleagues and will represent the service on appropriate MDTs.

We are looking for an excellent communicator with experience of working with complex MSK foot and ankle conditions, with a commitment to the delivery of high quality, evidence-based personalised care, and ambitions to develop themselves and their service.

The successful applicant will be required to work across various community hospital sites and clinics within Gloucestershire and car owner driver is essential.

Main duties of the job

Undertake clinical triage of foot and ankle referrals into the orthopaedic single point of access MSK Specialist Triage service.

Conduct highly complex assessments of a broad spectrum of patients presenting with musculoskeletal foot and ankle conditions which have proven refractory to first‑line interventions.

Formulate (and where appropriate implement) clinical management plans in collaboration with patients and their carers, addressing individual needs and managing complexity.

Practice personalised care, ensuring that patients' priorities and concerns are understood and addressed, and that they are actively involved in decisions that affect their own care.

The qualification, training & experience requirements for the role are underlined in the Job Description/Person Specification.

About us

We have a skilled and dedicated workforce of over 5000 colleagues working in a diverse range of services over 55 sites and within people's homes. We strive to enable a welcoming workplace culture that builds and celebrates civility, inclusivity and diversity, while providing a sense of belonging and trust.

Annual staff surveys, regular Pulse surveys and other engagement opportunities provide our people with lots of opportunity to tell us about their experiences of working with us. In the latest staff survey, 61% of colleagues gave us their views. It was great to hear that:

• 72% of colleagues would recommend the Trust as a place to work, ranking us 1st for Provider Trusts in the South West region on this question.
• 76% would recommend the standard of care provided in our services if a friend or relative needed treatment, also ranking us 1st in the South West region.
• 81% said that care of patients and service users is the Trust's priority, compared with an average in comparable NHS Trusts in England of 64%.

This high-level overview shows we are in a healthy position, with higher scores than average for comparable organisations, alongside a great response rate, indicating good staff engagement. However, we also know we have plenty of room for improvement in many areas. To that end, we continue to prioritise and invest in our commitment to genuinely becoming a Great Place to Work with consistent top‑quartile performance in the annual staff survey and Pulse surveys.

Job responsibilities

Undertake clinical triage of foot and ankle referrals into the orthopaedic single point of access MSK Specialist Triage service, using highly developed specialist knowledge of pathways and commissioning criteria, directing to appropriate services and prioritising care according to health status and need.

Conduct highly complex assessments of a broad spectrum of patients presenting with musculoskeletal foot and ankle conditions which have proven refractory to first‑line interventions. This will include history‑taking, physical examination, and the requesting of diagnostic imaging where appropriate and in line with national guidelines.

Formulate (and where appropriate implement) clinical management plans in collaboration with patients and their carers, addressing individual needs and managing complexity. This will include supported self‑management strategies, referral back into podiatry or physiotherapy services, the delivery of ultrasound‑guided injections, the measuring and fitting of appropriate orthoses, the prescribing of medicines (if an INMP), and referral to secondary care services.

Practice personalised care, ensuring that patients priorities and concerns are understood and addressed, and that they are actively involved in decisions that affect their own care. This will include the utilisation of appropriate evidence‑based information resources, decision support tools, and highly developed communication strategies including health coaching.

Critically assess and address own learning needs, negotiating a personal development plan that reflects the breadth of ongoing professional development.

Advocate for and contribute to a culture of organisational learning, acting as an expert resource to patients/carers, podiatry and MSKAPS colleagues, clinical students, and members of the wider multidisciplinary team across the integrated care system.

Actively engage in the planning and implementation of supervision and mentorship programmes for new/more junior colleagues.

Evaluate and audit own and others clinical practice, participating in and leading on service evaluation and clinical audit, and implementing any appropriate changes.

Maintain an up to date understanding of research findings and clinical guidelines, incorporating them into clinical practice and ensuring best‑practice clinical care.

Role‑model the values of the organisation within the podiatry and MSKAPS services and across the wider MDT.

Participate in service redesign and innovation projects as directed by service leads, engaging with patients, carers, communities and colleagues to ensure co‑production.

Demonstrate resilience and determination, managing situations that are unfamiliar, complex and/or unpredictable, and seeking to build confidence in others.

Demonstrate an ability to constructively challenge others, escalating concerns that affect individuals, families, carers, communities and colleagues safety and wellbeing when necessary.

Participate in Supporting Professional Activities (SPA) including recruitment policy development and review, clinical guideline review/baseline assessment, attendance of clinical network/support groups, and any other activities delegated by service leads.

The Trust is required to work in line with the Governments UK Visa and Immigration Rules and Regulations. For more information about sponsorship for certain roles, please visit - https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Diploma/degree in podiatry or physiotherapy
• Relevant MSK postgraduate qualification/training at Masters level (not pre‑registration) or equivalent
• Recognised injection qualification (if not already held, there may be a requirement to complete this once in post depending on service need)
• Independent non‑medical prescribing (INMP) qualification and annotation with the HCPC (if not already held, there may be a requirement to complete this once in post depending on service need)

Professional/Managerial/Specialist Knowledge

• Registered with the HCPC and not subject to any current cautions or restrictions to practice
• An understanding of the principles of personalised care, an ability to embed this into clinical practice, and a commitment to putting the patient at the centre of their own care
• Up to date knowledge of local and national guidance relevant to the assessment and management of MSK foot and ankle conditions

Length and/or Nature of Experience

• Experience of working as an MSK foot and ankle clinician within the NHS, including assessment and rehabilitation of a wide range of foot and ankle conditions
• Experience of managing a complex caseload including some highly complex patients and an understanding of the management of complex presentations including red flags/clinical emergencies
• Evidence of teaching, coaching, supervising and/or mentoring of colleagues
• Experience of requesting and interpreting the findings of X‑rays, MRI, Ultrasound and Neurophysiology studies
• Experience of working within a Musculoskeletal Interface Service within the NHS
• Experience of administering therapeutic joint and soft tissue injections

Personal Skills and Attributes

• Excellent communication / interpersonal skills
• Ability to analyse complex and potentially conflicting information and formulate a highly specialised management plan within a tight timeframe
• Ability to organise and effectively manage own time, prioritising where necessary and responding to frequently changing environments
• Ability to deal sensitively with distressing, emotional situations, remaining calm under pressure and using initiative

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust