Band 5 Rotational Occupational Therapist

Job overview

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.

Main duties of the job

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.

Working for our organisation

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of £1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. The trust-wide strategy of Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we aim to take Team King’s to another level.

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Practice

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.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Evidence of experience with a specialist interest in Diabetes Foot management
• Experience of ulcer debridement and advanced wound techniques, eg cast therapy, diabetes modules, larval therapy

Desirable criteria

• Diabetic Foot Module

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• HCPC registration
• Bsc in Podiatry

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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