MSK Biomechanics Podiatrist

Role overview

This post sits within a specialist podiatric biomechanics and musculoskeletal service, focused on assessing and managing a wide range of lower-limb, gait, orthopaedic, and MSK conditions while delivering high-quality patient care.

You will contribute to the strategic development, planning, and day-to-day delivery of MSK podiatry across both community and acute care environments.

As a specialist clinician, you will support patients with varied and often complex podiatric problems, including high-risk foot and lower-limb issues linked to diabetes, HIV, neuropathy, and inflammatory arthropathies. The role includes assessment, prescription, and treatment delivery, as well as the design and fabrication of orthoses of varying complexity.

Working as part of the specialist foot team, you will diagnose and manage patients, deliver education and staff training, and help shape clinical pathways for people with acute and long-term complex conditions.

Clinical duties

You will carry out evidence-based assessment and diagnosis of biomechanical and musculoskeletal conditions, using advanced clinical reasoning to create and implement suitable treatment plans. This includes high-risk biomechanical assessment and gait analysis.

Knowledge of biomechanics will be applied to tissue viability, including the use of pressure-relieving devices for complex foot problems.

The role also requires extended practice beyond standard podiatry, including referral for and interpretation of X-rays and other imaging, review of pathology reports, and post-operative wound management.

You will explain treatment options clearly so patients can make informed choices, and you will review outcomes to keep care aligned with current best practice.

Precision is essential when prescribing and manufacturing orthotics, including complex devices for patients with a history of foot ulceration.

Operational responsibilities

Core podiatry duties are expected alongside specialist MSK work.

You will assess and diagnose patients with a broad range of medical and podiatric conditions, triage referrals from doctors, allied health professionals, consultants, and emergency departments, and provide rapid access to expert care where needed.

The role includes treatment of complex podiatric disorders as part of wider long-term condition management, along with complex wound care that takes foot risk status and wound classification systems into account.

Highly developed manual skills and hand-eye coordination are needed for skilled debridement of acute, chronic, neuropathic, and ischaemic wounds, sometimes over extended periods.

You will take part in the daily running of biomechanics/MSK clinics, support administrative and clerical colleagues, manage your own caseload, and help develop guidelines, procedures, and service standards with Foot & Ankle Orthopaedic Consultants.

You will also work across the organisation to improve services through forums, user feedback, and collaboration with other teams and sectors.

Other responsibilities include clinic ordering, stock control, safe handling of equipment, accurate recording of leave, incident reporting, equipment fault reporting, audit participation, staff meetings, and delivering care at different locations when required.

Management responsibilities

This post includes leadership of junior clinical staff and day-to-day support for their professional development and service delivery.

You will help manage the team budget, reduce avoidable agency spend, interpret corporate policy, and shape local team guidance.

You will also lead clinicians and support staff in providing proactive, high-quality podiatric care, support peer review, and work with senior managers and specialist practitioners to build the MSK/Orthotics service into a centre of excellence.

The role requires communicating complex clinical and financial information to a range of stakeholders, managing competing priorities, and using non-clinical time productively for audit, research, projects, meetings, education, and training.

You will support workforce management, recruitment, selection, induction, supervision, appraisal, training, equipment safety, stock monitoring, agency return checks, and clinical references. You may also deputise for the MSK Extended Scope Practitioner and assist with complaints, Datix reports, mortality-related processes, or other investigations when needed.

Education and development

You are expected to stay current with developments in biomechanics, MSK practice, and podiatry, and to work in line with evidence-based best practice.

The role includes student training, support for staff rotations, maintenance of CPD and competency, mandatory training, and participation in individual performance review.

Physical and working conditions

The role involves daily physical assessment work and sustained mental concentration for letters, policy development, presentations, clinical analysis, treatment planning, and education of staff and patients.

You will need to manage changing work patterns, pressure, and stressful situations while prioritising tasks and making decisions effectively.

Work may include exposure to bodily fluids, interaction with homeless people, and occasional verbal or physical aggression from service users or carers. Strong negotiation and conflict-management skills are important, along with adherence to local procedures for challenging behaviour and high-risk environments.

Organisation overview

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust employs nearly 8,000 staff delivering integrated healthcare to around a third of London’s population, as well as Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. The organisation works closely with service users, carers, the public, staff, and partner organisations, and is known for innovative, high-quality healthcare.

The trust notes that vacancies may close early if application volumes are high. Employment is under Agenda for Change contracts and includes a contractual 13-week probationary period.

Person specification

Essential: a Degree or Diploma in Podiatric Medicine, HCPC Podiatrist registration, and a Certificate in local anaesthesia.

Experience: experience treating biomechanical/MSK foot conditions and working across primary and secondary care. Desirable experience includes orthotic manufacture, ongoing professional development in biomechanics/MSK, and broader relevant clinical work.

Knowledge and skills: understanding of how lower-limb biomechanics affect orthopaedic/MSK conditions; ability to carry out comprehensive biomechanical and orthopaedic assessment of gait, lower-limb joints, and muscles; strong clinical reasoning and decision-making in biomechanics/MSK management. The remaining criteria continue in the same specialist direction, with emphasis on advanced podiatric assessment, treatment planning, and professional competence.