Specialist Diabetes Podiatrist and Team Leader

Specialist Diabetes Podiatrist and Team Leader- Band 7 Full-Time

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified Clinician to deliver High Risk Podiatric care in the Community Podiatry High Risk Clinics throughout Hillingdon CNWL (Central North West London) sites, including Eastcote, Hesa and Uxbridge Clinics. This post will include working with the Hillingdon Multidisciplinary Foot Team at the local acute site and will be based at Uxbridge Health centre.

This post requires a person who is highly specialised and has extensive knowledge, clinical skills and experience at a Band 7 level in the field of Diabetes, Providing a comprehensive care for patients with complex high risk foot problems. Providing education to health care staff and patients on management of diabetes and diabetic foot care.

The post holder will be clinically responsible for treatment of the high risk caseload working autonomously as well as work as part of the multidisciplinary team; including in reach into secondary care.
The post holder will also line manage and supervise Community Podiatrists; delivering supervision for them regularly and carrying out some limited operational duties whilst deputising for the Band 8a Clinical lead.

To provide specialist footcare for patient with complex high risk foot problems. This includes diabetes patients with acute and chronic foot wounds, patients with neuropathic and vascular complications, patient with foot complications who are immunosuppressed and patients who have poor tissue viability. The post holder will be clinically responsible for treatment of the high risk caseload working autonomously as well as work as part of the multidisciplinary team. The post requires accepting emergency referrals from GPs, community podiatrists, and other health professionals and will provide responsive specialist care.

A need for education and up-skilling of clinical and care staff working with diabetic care. There will be also be a responsibility for patient education.

As part of the integrated diabetes service, the post will be based in a variety of settings within Hillingdon including hospital, community and outreach locations.

Car driver is essential for this role as you will be required to carry out home-visits

There’s a place for you at CNWL

We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.

Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people.
We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

To work in accordance with College of Podiatry and Health and Care Professions Council Code of Professional Conduct including scope of professional practice.

To assess, manage and treat high risk complex caseload consisting of patients with: acute and chronic diabetic foot problems, pre and post operative amputations wounds and acute and chronic neuropathic, vascular foot/lower limb problems

To lead in the planning of care packages jointly between hospital and community care providers.

To provide podiatry care including wound care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions

To undertake biomechanical assessment, gait analysis and orthotic provision and advice for patients with a range of underlying MSK/biomechanical conditions

To use clinical reasoning skill in the assessment, diagnoses and formulating treatment plans of patients with a variety of high risk foot problems and medical conditions

To have the ability to cope with unpredictable work patterns as necessitated in acute wound care clinics

To have highly developed physical skills, precision hand/eye co-ordination which involves highly skilled debridement techniques of acute/chronic, neuropathic and ischaemic wounds, often for prolonged periods.

Develop and contribute to the care and management of complex wounds and lower limb complications

To apply and practice principles of wound management

Have advance knowledge of dressing and there modes of action and appropriate indications of their use in wound care.

To have a good working knowledge of biomechanics and its role wound care and basic musculoskeletal problems.

To recognise the need, undertake and understand the result of investigations such as microbiology, x-ray, and scans and respond appropriately.

To take the clinical diabetes/high risk foot specialist role within the multidisciplinary diabetes foot team.

To promote multidisciplinary team working.

To provide diabetes/high risk foot care with the hospital out patients and wards based on agreed referral criteria and ensuring patients are not put at risk.

To take direct referrals from GP; community podiatry and community nursing in the hospital setting and providing rapid access and expert clinical advise and intervention based on agreed referral criteria.

To take internal hospital referrals from consultants/doctors, nurses and accident and emergency based on agreed criteria and ensuring patients at not put at risk

To undertake specialist high risk work in a range of acute and community settings

To provide podiatry care including wound care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions

To have highly developed physical skills, precision hand/eye co-ordination which involves highly skilled debridement techniques of acute/chronic, neuropathic and ischaemic wounds, often for prolonged periods.

To line manage a small team of staff providing them with regular supervision and being available when they need. Experience of managing staff (sickness absence, supervision) is desirable.

To carry out limited operational duties whilst deputising for the Clinical Lead for Podiatry