Job overview

We are looking to recruit a proactive full time Band 5 Orthotist. The successful candidates will be part of the Orthotic Department at Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust.

The majority of our clinical work is Outpatient based, mostly at the Sandwell Health Campus site, with some satellite clinics at the City Health Campus site, Rowley Regis Hospital and Victoria Health Centre. We also provide Inpatient support across the three sites (Sandwell, City and Rowley). Orthotists at SWB work closely with other teams in the Trust including; Diabetic Foot Care, Adult and Paediatric Neuro-Physiotherapists, MSK Physiotherapists and community based AHPs.

We aim to provide a high quality clinical Orthotic service. As part of our role, we are responsible for providing patient centred care with a person-centred approach to their independence and well –being. Orthotists are required to liaise with Consultants, other clinicians, Therapists, Orthotic colleagues and Managers to support the provision of an effective and efficient Orthotic service. We aim to inform our practice with recognised examples of current good practice and evidence based Orthotic approaches.

Main duties of the job

Orthotists are expected to manage their own case load of patients. This may be as a single clinician or as part of a Multi-Disciplinary team. Our practice incorporates detailed assessment, measurement, fitting and review of patients, informed by sound biomechanical and neurophysiological reasoning. We are responsible for providing appropriate advice and guidance to patients and carers, alongside clinical support to referrers, medical staff and AHPs.

As part of the role, the successful Orthotists should demonstrate an understanding of patient’s presenting pathologies together with a precise knowledge of indications and contra-indications in relation to the orthosis and the clinical condition. They will need to order the most appropriate stock orthosis or for the manufacture of custom-made orthosis with an appropriate supplier in terms of quality and cost effectiveness within the established guidelines for approved manufacturers.

Orthotists will need to ensure compliance with our local clinical governance framework and provide and maintain documented patient information. This is in line with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (BAPO)) guidelines.

Working for our organisation

Multi-site working 

The four partner Trusts of the Black Country Provider Collaborative (Dudley Group NHS FT, Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust) are actively working in partnership to deliver a collective vision focused on providing "better, faster and safer care to the population of the Black Country and beyond". 

To support this vision, we are (where appropriate and safe to do so) actively looking at new models of care which:

Against this context, although this post is hosted by Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust, there may be an expectation to work flexibly across the four partner Trusts to better meet patient and service needs.