Job Vacancy
Senior Podiatrist (Louth)
Closing Date for Applications: 13 May 2019.
Diabetes Ireland invites applications from suitably qualified Podiatrists to work as part of an integrated high risk footcare service in Co. Louth. Clinics will be based in Drogheda and Dundalk.
Foot Care Service Overview
The Podiatry service is primarily for High and Moderate Risk. Many of these patients have Diabetes and have or are at risk of Diabetic Foot Disease. Many are also from other care groups such as Vascular, Rheumatology, Neurological, who also require High Risk footcare management. Through regular assessment and treatment our aim is to reduce their risk of developing serious foot complications thereby reducing the need for hospital admissions.
The successful candidate will work as part of an existing team to provide a community based service that allows:
- people with diabetes at low risk of foot disease to be managed preventatively by regular foot inspection by suitably trained community based healthcare professionals (eg Practice Nurses, Public Health Nurses) who have undergone training as per the National Model of Care for the Diabetic Foot. The candidate will participate in training health care professionals.
- people with diabetes at increased risk of foot disease be under active surveillance by the podiatrist who provides specialist assessment, treatment and/or early referral for further investigation/treatment by more specialised clinicians. Patients will be referred to the regional multi-disciplinary footcare team if they develop a serious foot wound or other complicated presentations requiring further investigation by the multidisciplinary foot care team. These patients will be referred back to Community Podiatry for continued monitoring and preventative care once their current episode of care is complete.
- people with diabetes with active foot disease e.g. foot ulcer be managed in conjunction with the regional specialist multi-disciplinary team with regular treatment provided by the podiatrist for the duration of the active foot disease. These patients, once healed will be regularly reviewed by Community Podiatry in close consultation with the hospital podiatrist.
- patients from other care groups ( Rheumatoid Arthritis, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Neurological complications) who develop active foot disease to be seen by the community based podiatrists in consultation with hospital consultants eg. Vascular, neurology, rheumatology etc.
- In this role the Senior Podiatrist will be expected to actively participate in the co-ordination of strategic planning and development of Podiatry services in consultation other stakeholders and HSE Management.
- The Senior Podiatrist will provide education and training to both patients/patient groups and other health care providers so that together, disease prevention can be optimised in the population.
- Working in local community location(s), the Senior Podiatrist will be responsible for the commencement, development and continued provision of a quality, responsive and effective podiatry service to both prevent deterioration in foot health and, to minimise the necessity for hospital admissions for limb salvage.
- As a Senior Podiatrist working in the area of the High Risk foot, the post holder will have the vision and drive to bring together professionals working in different areas of healthcare in the regional referral area. Together, you will provide optimal diagnoses and treatment in order to improve outcomes for patients who are at increased risk of, or have developed, serious foot complications.
- The person appointed will work within the Integrated Services Directorate of the HSE; working as part of a multi-disciplinary teams delivering a co-ordinated approach to client care.
- The service includes the provision of training and education to other healthcare professionals and patients so that together, disease prevention can be optimised in the population. The service accepts referrals only from healthcare professionals and prioritises them upon receipt according to information provided.
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