Diabetic Foot Practitioner

Main area Diabetic Foot Grade NHS AfC: Band 8a Contract Permanent Hours Part time - 33.75 hours per week (Mon-Fri) Job ref 213-PRUH-

Employer King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Princess Royal University Hospital Town Bromley Salary £61,631 - £68,623 per annum, including HCA's Salary period Yearly Closing 04/09/:59

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

To develop high quality, effective and holistic care for patients with acute diabetic foot problems throughout their hospital admission, acting as a link person within the multidisciplinary team. To lead on the running of the Diabetic Foot Clinic and to hold line management responsibility for other members of the podiatry team as well as to support and review outpatients with diabetic foot problems.

The postholder will work closely with the PRUH diabetes team, a DCAP accredited service with a dynamic and approachable team.

Key Working Relationships

Matrons, Heads of Nursing, Medical Consultants, Surgeons, Allied Health Professionals, General Managers, Service managers, Pharmacists, Patient involvement groups, Doctors, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurses and Health Care Assistants.

Main duties of the job

• Act as a role model and clinical expert within diabetic foot management, promoting and demonstrating first class care through evidence-based practice and research.
• Take a lead on clinical care by independently managing a patient caseload with support from the multidisciplinary team.
• Ensure that where appropriate each patient has a comprehensive wound assessment undertaken and a referral is made to the appropriate speciality.
• Act as an expert in the use of specific treatments and advanced wound techniques including sharp debridement of wounds, vac & larvae therapy.
• Provide advice on the most appropriate pressure relieving devices for specific conditions including liaison with the orthotics department for appropriate footwear provision.
• Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Manage team absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur.
• Support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
• Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation.

Working for our organisation

The Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) is part of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching hospitals with a turnover of £1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 11,500 staff based across 5 main sites in Southeast London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation NHS Trust is currently delivering an ambitious financial efficiency programme for 2025/26 and beyond with the aim to achieve long-term financial sustainability.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Act as a role model and clinical expert within diabetic foot management, promoting and demonstrating first class care through evidence-based practice and research.

Take a lead on clinical care by independently managing a patient caseload with support from the multidisciplinary team.

Ensure that where appropriate each patient has a comprehensive wound assessment undertaken and a referral is made to the appropriate speciality.

Support the MDT by facilitating the booking of investigations and interpretation of results

Act as an expert in the use of specific treatments and advanced wound techniques including sharp debridement of wounds, vac & larvae therapy.

Provide advice on the most appropriate pressure relieving devices for specific conditions including liaison with the orthotics department for appropriate footwear provision.

Provide advice to the MDT on the most appropriate IV antibiotic therapy protocols for diabetic foot infections

Carry out measurements of transcutaneous oxygen tension pre and post angioplasty and post bypass surgery

Co-ordinate and participate in diabetic foot ward rounds and present patients and their test results

In conjunction with the Diabetic Foot Specialist Nurse organise weekly early intervention vascular diabetic foot outpatient clinics and present patients and their vascular test results (Fridays)

Run early discharge clinics for complex patients in order to reduce length of stay for inpatients.

Support with joint podiatry-orthotic clinics to support patients to receive footwear in timely manner

Review and triage acute inpatient referrals from wards including A&E and SDEC

To liaise with the Ward Clerks to facilitate the correct stock levels of specialist dressings.

Identify areas of poor practice and respond appropriately ensuring the delivery of safe and effective practice

Work closely with PCTs, Tissue Viability Nurse Specialist and podiatry services to ensure continuity of care post discharge.

Maintain a comprehensive database on all diabetic foot in patient activities

Carry out an evaluation of database content and statistical analysis of activities for presentation at MDT meetings and grand rounds

Prepare annual reports of diabetic foot activities and standards of care for evaluation by medical care group management.

Participate in pertinent research projects regarding diabetic foot in-patients.

To hold line management responsibility for other diabetic foot podiatrists within the department including sickness/absence management, annual leave, performance and development.

Person specification

• Significant experience at Band 7 or above working within an acute diabetic foot service
• Experience of ulcer debridement and advanced wound tech
• Effective management of own case loads

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.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Annual Reports and Other Corporate Publications

King's Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre Website

King's College Hospital is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King's College London, and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.