Job overview

To provide an efficient and effective clinical orthotic service within the Department’s, Division’s and Trust’s objectives and local health delivery plans. To provide this service to the Trust’s purchasers. To accept consultant and healthcare professional referrals to the service for patients’ orthotic management. To undertake clinical examination and assessment of patients and provide orthoses in a timely appropriate and suitable manner including highly specialist technical/clinical prescriptions.

The orthoses are to be sourced/procured by best value practice. To maintain HCPC Registration as an orthotist and work within professional best practice guidelines at all times ensuring planned achievement of outcome measures for patients’ orthotic management.

Main duties of the job

To accept referrals from medical and healthcare professionals and undertake clinical assessment and examination of patients to provide suitable orthotic clinical technical prescriptions, including triage and prioritising patient needs. Accept as an individual the legal responsibility for patients’ orthotic care.

To use measurement and data acquisition techniques in recording all pertinent information to ensure accuracy of patient prescriptions.  Specify the design, componentry, materials, fabrication method and suppliers of orthoses and order individual items to meet the patient’s clinical needs.

Perform risk assessments in the selection of components for customised devices to ensure patient safety. Perform mechanical and technical adjustments to orthoses.  Evaluate the completed device on the patient to ensure the desired quality of body-device interface, functional alignment comfort, cosmetic appearance and mechanical integrity and safety.

Re-evaluate the above following an agreed time interval to meet patient needs or requirements of a care plan (review appointments). Provide verbal, visual and written department information, explanation and highly specialised clinical advice to the patient and/or carers at every stage of device provision for informed consent including complex devices.

Be responsible for the day-to-day running of the orthotic service in the absence of the orthotics manager when requested.

Working for our organisation

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands providing primary, acute and community services and we are incredibly proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve.  We are building a workforce that can help us to fulfil our values, improve the quality of care for patients, and solve the health care problems of tomorrow. We’re passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings in enabling us to become a learning organisation and leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients.

We are delighted that we have been rated as “Good” by CQC. We have achieved numerous awards; The Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020.

The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.