Job summary
Employer heading
Orthotist
NHS AfC: Band 5
Please note in order to progress your application, your data will be processed by our 3rd party recruitment providers – North London Partners Shared Service, who conduct recruitment activities on behalf of Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.
The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust is the largest orthopaedic hospital in the UK and a global leader in our field. We provide a dynamic working environment where we support frontline staff to implement improvements so that we can realise our vision of being a world leading neuro musculoskeletal hospital providing the best patient care and staff experience in the NHS, delivering world leading research, and offering a strong foundation of education, training and career progression. Our dedicated staff come from diverse backgrounds, and our patients benefit from the wide range of experience they bring to the Trust. The RNOH brings unrivalled expertise together in one place allowing us to deliver some of the world’s most complex and innovative care to our patients
- Rated Good by the CQC
- Two sites, one in central London and one in Stanmore - which has recently opened The Stanmore Building, a new, state-of-the-art inpatient facility
- Our Research and Innovation Centre works closely with our main academic partner, University College London
- Recognised as a centre of excellence, leading on national initiatives, such as the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Programme
- Further major redevelopment underway across the Stanmore site – improving and modernising our facilities to maintain our position as the UK’s leading centre for orthopaedic medicine
- In the NHS staff survey, over 90% of our staff were satisfied with the quality of care they are able to give to patients - the best result of any NHS Trust in the country
- Our staff also indicated that they had the best experience of appraisals as compared to all other NHS Trusts.
This is a great time to join us and play a critical role in the next stage of RNOH’s journey to achieving an outstanding CQC rating.
Our aim is to remain a world-leading orthopaedic hospital with the best patient care and staff experience in the NHS. To do this, we have four core values that underpin everything that we do. We use our values to help ensure that we are always focused on the things that our staff and patients believe are most important:
- Patients first, always
- Excellence, in all we do
- Trust, honesty and respect, for each other
- Equality, for all
Our annual staff survey results have been improving year on year, with our staff telling us that their experience of working at the Trust is getting better and better. They also indicate that our staff feel very loyal to the RNOH and committed to its role in providing the very best care to our complex patient group. We hope that we can welcome you to our growing team soon.
Job overview
We are looking for an Orthotist to join our experienced and exciting team. We specialise in assessing and managing complex MSK foot & ankle conditions, scoliosis and spinal cord injury. Utilising a collaborative approach the Orthotists work with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, especially Orthopaedic surgeons, clinical nurse specialists and physiotherapists. We are looking for a Band 5 Orthotist with an interest in foot, ankle and lower limb pathologies as we strive to improve this service and manage a diverse patient caseload.
Our Orthotics Department boasts a large staffed on site workshop with manufacturing facilities which provide opportunities to communicate on a one to one basis with our technical staff and develop your manufacture and design skills.
The main Orthotics Department is located on the hospital site at Stanmore. A satellite Orthotics Department also operates at Bolsover Street Central London Assessment Centre which the applicant would have to be willing to attend when required.
Applicants for this post should be:
- Graduates in Prosthetics and Orthotics, University of Salford or University of Strathclyde.
- Hold a Diploma from either the Orthotic and Prosthetic Training and Educational Council or Training Council for Orthotists.
- We will consider applications from final year students.
All applicants are required to be HCPC registered and ideally be members of BAPO.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide a high standard of orthotic care to patients. These patients will have a diverse range of pathologies and complexity. There will be treatment for both outpatients and inpatients as part of a broad MDT. They will contribute to the development, improvement and delivery of the service.
Working for our organisation
At the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), we are committed to achieving the best staff experience in the NHS. In the 2023 NHS Staff Survey, we proudly:
- Scored above the national average for the People Promises: "We are recognised and rewarded," "We are always learning," "We work flexibly," "We are a team," and for staff engagement.
- Ranked #1 among all Trusts in North and Central London for all People Promises and themes.
- Ranked #1 among all Acute Specialist Trusts for "We work flexibly."
At RNOH, we’re committed to being actively anti-discriminatory and actively inclusive. We recognise our brilliant people do brilliant work, and we offer rewarding careers, no matter what their background. We continue to strive to break down barriers to be the Trust where people come together because what they do matters, makes a difference and where they can thrive.
Joining our organisation means enjoying a wide range of staff benefits, including:
- 24/7 access to wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
- A Rewards & Recognition platform, offering opportunities to thank colleagues, send gifts, and access exclusive discounts.
- A dedicated Staff Wellbeing Hub, providing a space to relax and recharge away from the work environment.
- Salary sacrifice schemes for transport (season ticket loans, car and bike), electrical goods, and childcare
At RNOH, we are more than a workplace—we are committed to patients, to excellence and the wellbeing of our staff.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
• To perform good quality assessment of patients using advanced communication skills
• To collaboratively identify patient centred goals
• Use measurement and data acquisition techniques in recording all information to ensure accuracy of patient prescriptions.
• Perform positive model rectifications as appropriate
• Perform risk assessments in the selection of components for customised devices to ensure patient safety.
• 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
· To be responsible for own caseload working without direct supervision and work as an autonomous professional
· To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with professional standards of practice and department procedure
· To liaise with other members of the RNOH multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and in other organisations to ensure the best level of care for each individual
· Promote the Orthotist role within the clinical unit by undertaking evidence based audit and research projects to further own and teams clinical practice. To promote the Orthotist role as a career option and support in recruitment of future students
• To make recommendations to the clinical lead/manager for changes to practice that could enhance patient or staff experience
· Contribute to the smooth running of the Orthotics service through regular supervision of students
·To participate in the staff appraisal scheme as the person being appraised and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development programmes to meet set knowledge and competencies.
·Under direction, collect data for use in service audit and research projects.
· Under direction, manage and undertake research into specific areas of clinical practice and service delivery using appropriate methodologies
· Maintain, develop and record own CPD activities to ensure you strive to meet professional and service standards of care E.g. Participate in regular supervision, formal training and clinical reasoning sessions, problem case sessions and peer review. Access advice and support from senior colleagues as required
· Contribute to the learning and development of the team through in service training
· Assist more junior staff in the development of their IPR objectives
· Inducts, supervises and educates an allocated member of staff according to their learning needs
· Assists senior staff in presenting educational sessions to the MDT
· Shares good practice with all grades of staff formally & informally
· Discuss the most complex cases and queries with peers and senior staff as appropriate.
· Support the work experience programme providing the opportunity for students to observe, thereby promoting the profession
· To be aware of and comply with all RNOH policies and procedures
· To actively participate in professional and departmental duties
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- BSc Honours in Prosthetics and Orthotics or equivalent
Professional registration
Essential criteria
- HCPC registered (not required if still a student)
Desirable criteria
- Member of BAPO
CPD
Essential criteria
- Evidence of a well maintained CPD portfolio
Desirable criteria
- Attendance at recent post graduate courses relevant to the post
Experience
Essential criteria
- Ability to provide examples of patient experience. These should include ability to problem solve and apply clinical knowledge.
- Well reasoned account of career intentions at RNOH
- An understanding of audit, quality improvement and clinical governance
Desirable criteria
- Experience in NHS
Skills
Essential criteria
- Up to date knowledge of professional practice and new research
- Understands the legal responsibilities of the profession
- Able to present information, written and orally, in a clear, concise and logical manner
- Demonstrates a desire to learn
- Presentation skills
- Ability to organise and prioritise
- Demonstrates clinical reasoning, applying theory to practice
- Ability to carry out moderate to intense physical effort throughout the working day, often multi-tasking
- Ability to work in a stressful environment with emotional or aggressive patients and carers
- Ability to communicate with patients who have impaired communication abilities
- Ability to demonstrate empathy and motivate patients
- IT skills
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Donna Cooper
- Job title
- Clinical Lead Orthotist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 02089095143
- Additional information
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