Orthotist

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Nhs Foundation Trust; Rishton; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced Orthotist to join the Orthotics Department. You will undertake holistic assessments with the MDT to develop personalised care plans and provide clinically appropriate orthotic prescriptions, including complex needs.

You will deliver high-quality orthotic services across multiple specialties, maintain compliant records, and contribute to audit, governance, and service improvement to enhance patient outcomes.

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) in Prosthetics and Orthotics or equivalent.
• Postgraduate studies in Orthotics and sound clinical judgement.
• UK registration with HCPC and evidence thereof.
• 3 years post-graduation clinical experience in Orthotics.

Responsibilities

• Undertake detailed MDT assessments to develop personalised care plans and prescribe orthoses.
• Deliver orthotic services across diabetes, vascular, neurology, musculoskeletal, spinal, and limb conditions for adults and children.
• Maintain accurate, timely records in Trust systems and ensure HCPC/BAPO compliance.
• Participate in audit, governance, complex case reviews, training, and service improvement activities.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Audits & research

Documentation & records

Education

BSc (Hons) Prosthetics & Orthotics

Postgraduate studies in Orthotics

UK HCPC registration evidence

3 years post-graduate Orthotics experience

Job description

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced, compassionate, and proactive Orthotist to join our Orthotic Rehabilitation Team. The ideal candidate will bring clinical expertise, enthusiasm, and flexibility, and will play a key role in delivering high-quality, effective, person-centred care to our patients.

Our team provides both inpatient and outpatient Orthotic services for the local Central Lancashire population as well as regional tertiary services across Lancashire and South Cumbria. As part of this role, you will contribute to a wide range of multidisciplinary clinics, locally and regionally, supporting the management of conditions such as Talipes, Stroke, Diabetes, and Adult Neurology. This ensures excellent access to high-quality Orthotic assessment and intervention.

The department works across numerous specialities, including Medicine, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Diabetes, Vascular, Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Neurorehabilitation. Our clinicians manage highly complex presentations across the full scope of Orthotics practice, and the service has a strong reputation for delivering safe, effective, and person-centred care.

This is an exciting time to join the Orthotics Department within SMRC and LTHTR. We are committed to continuous service improvement and regularly review our care pathways to ensure we deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients.

If you are motivated, innovative, and passionate about making a difference, we would be delighted to welcome you to our team.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will undertake comprehensive, holistic assessments with the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to develop personalised care plans and provide clinically appropriate orthotic prescriptions, including for complex needs. You will apply advanced clinical reasoning to design and implement effective interventions aligned with patient-centred goals and best practice.

You will deliver high-quality clinical, scientific, and advisory orthotic services to support recovery, rehabilitation, and functional improvement across specialties, including diabetes and vascular care, adult and paediatric neurology, musculoskeletal conditions, spinal orthoses, and upper and lower limb presentations in all age groups. You will conduct thorough clinical examinations, evaluate orthotic requirements, and ensure evidence-based assessments with clear documentation supporting clinical decisions.

You will maintain accurate, timely clinical records on Trust-approved systems, ensuring compliance with HCPC and BAPO standards, Trust policies, and national guidelines for safe, effective, auditable care.

The post-holder will contribute to service development, governance, and quality improvement through clinical audit, research, complex case discussions, training, and meetings, supporting continuous improvement within SMRC and LTHTR to enhance patient experience and outcomes.

About us

Preston Specialist Mobility Rehabilitation Centre (SMRC) is part of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The SMRC is a regional Centre, providing Prosthetic, Orthotic, Wheelchair and Specialist Seating services throughout Lancashire, South Cumbria and beyond.

We are one of 9 centres that were awarded Specialist War Veteran Centre status with the associated Specialist facilities (e.g. high specification rehabilitation exercise area).

The Centre has a truly multidisciplinary team including; Consultant in Amputee Rehabilitation, Prosthetists, Prosthetic Technicians, Orthotists, Psychologist, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Nursing Team, Assistant Practitioners, Physical Training Instructors, Rehabilitation Engineers and Administration Teams.

The Orthotics Service of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals is situated at the Specialist Mobility Rehabilitation Centre in Preston Business Centre, however, services are delivered at several sites, including Chorley District Hospital, Royal Preston hospital and at other community and hospital locations.

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached documentation for the full description.

Role Summary To undertake detailed assessments in conjunction with the Centres Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to enable personalised care plans, facilitating provision of clinically appropriate Orthotic prescriptions (including complex patient presentations and prescriptions).

The post holder will be clinically responsible for the provision of treatment of patients under the supervision of Senior Orthotists.

The post holder will always work within professional and Trust guidelines and through informed consent will ensure the best Orthotic outcome for the patient within agreed resources.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• To provide clinical, scientific and advisory services to patients to assist their recovery and rehabilitation using Orthoses across a number of key areas including but not limited to, diabetes and vascular, those with neurological conditions and musculoskeletal complaints, spinal orthoses and for both adults and children with upper or lower limb complaints.
• They will carry out clinical examination and evaluation of patients Orthotic needs, formulate design (prescription) of appropriate Orthosis and ensure appropriate and accurate fit to meet the needs of the patient.
• To manage own time, case load and meet the clinical demand as required. Be flexible and responsive to that demand and take ownership and accountability for it. Seek to involve others as required and work with other members of MDT when appropriate and possible.
• To maintain accurate and timely information on SMRC and Trust recognised systems.
• To participate in audit, research, governance, complex case review, service improvement and SMRC/Trust mandatory training and meetings.

The duties and responsibilities listed below should be undertaken in accordance with the levels of competence as defined in the KSF outline for this post. In addition, all staff are expected to act in accordance with the values and behaviours of the Trust.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Education

Essential

• BSc (Hons) in Prosthetics and Orthotics or historical equivalent.
• Evidence of post graduate studies
• Appropriate knowledge base and ability to apply sound clinical judgement
• Competent in spoken and written English to enable effective communication regarding Orthotic service topics which can be demonstrated by one of the following: That applicants have undertaken undergraduate Prosthetic and Orthotic training in English. or Have the following scores in the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - overall 7, Speaking 7, Listening 6, Reading 6, Writing 6.
• Demonstrable evidence of service development
• Training in teaching methods.
• Experience of clinical audit and/or research.
• 3 years post-graduation clinical experience in Orthotics.
• Previous experience in treating both adult and paediatric populations.
• Demonstratable experience with complex orthoses.
• Experience and knowledge of current Orthotic practice including interactions between Allied Health Professionals and Medical Consultants in rehabilitation.
• Experience of working with finite resources.
• Previous experience in treatment of complex long- term conditions
• A good knowledge of Orthotic Principles, prescription, manufacture and delivery.
• Knowledge of Quality Assurance Systems.
• Demonstrable comprehension of national priorities, NHS goals and 10-year plan.
• Ability to manage a complex caseload with limited supervision.

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).