Podiatry Assistant

This is an exciting opportunity to come and join a professional, friendly and supportive podiatry team delivering high quality foot health care to patients working as a podiatry assistant under delegated care-plans from your podiatry colleagues.

Podiatry assistants are an absolute key part of the team and we are in a position to recruit for a new cohort of Podiatry assistant colleagues due to recent retirements across the service footprint. This post is to cover the North Tyneside area. The areas of work include clinics, patients homes, residential and nursing care settings, GP surgeries and hospitals.
- The post holder is expected to:

- Provide professional, quality programmes of care to patients delegated to them by a Podiatrist in accordance with the care plan.
- Work across the service to ensure the smooth running of the service, working across a variety of environments
- Assists the podiatrist to carry out footcare and health promotion activities

The North Tyneside Podiatry Team is a welcoming and friendly podiatry team that provides high quality foot health care to the residents of North Tyneside.

**We uphold the Trust Values**: Patients first, everyone's contribution counts, safe and high quality care, respect and responsibility and accountability.

As part of Northumbria Healthcare there are an increasing number of development opportunities for podiatry assistants working for a world class NHS trust. This is an exciting opportunity to train as a podiatry assistant following the Royal College of Podiatrists Assistant Practitioner manual. Within two years you will have attained the certificate of competence as a podiatry assistant.

We have Podiatry Assistant posts available for the first time in a long time and this is a chance for an enthusiastic and motivated person to join the team and really make the role their own.

There is a competency framework to support your learning and development and you will have a mentor.

Clinical

**The post holder is expected to**:

- Understand, implement and adhere to care plans developed by a Podiatrist in a variety of settings, including clinic, residential homes and domiciliary visits.
- Work autonomously but seek advice from a Podiatrist as necessary.
- Carry out nail reduction of pathological and non
- pathological nails using appropriate electrical and non
- electrical equipment on patients who may be classed as a higher risk. This would include assessed people with diabetes and patients taking higher risk medication such as anticoagulants, steroids etc.
- Manufacture replacement silicone orthoses previously prescribed by a Podiatrist.
- Identify new developed foot pathologies, communicate implications to the patient and make appropriate referrals to the Podiatrist and/or Nurse/GP.
- Review patient medication on a regular basis.
- Prepare a sterile field and assist in nail surgery.
- Encourage patients to adhere to their care plan and attend their planned review with the Podiatrist.
- Maintain instruments and equipment, ordering replacements as required.
- Assist patients with their footwear and hosiery where necessary.
- Adhere to the Trust and/ or Departmental policies regarding prevention of cross infection, the control of substances hazardous to health and moving and handling when providing clinical services.

Non clinical

**The post holder is expected to**:

- Compile and return requested statistical data within the stated time frame.
- File and retrieve patient notes or provide instruction to an appropriate staff member.
- Manage the administration and maintenance of clinical and non-clinical appointment systems.
- Deal with written correspondence as soon as practicable and, where necessary, reply.
- To be responsible for managing own caseload and take reasonable steps to inform patients of cancelled clinic or appointments via an authorised member of staff.
- Attend locality and departmental meetings and, where appropriate, contribute to discussions and consultations regarding departmental and local policies, procedures and best practices.
- Maintain patient confidentiality, protect their privacy and dignity and respect their values, culture, individual rights and personal choices.
- To prepare and photocopy patient advice information as necessary.