Foot & Ankle Senior Clinical Fellow

Foot & Ankle Senior Clinical Fellow

The closing date is 25 September 2025

Recruitment for 6 Foot and Ankle fellows rotating every 6 months starting April 2026 through to April 2029.

Overview of the Foot and Ankle service

The clinical service is run by a well organised, multi-disciplinary team, including 4 full time consultant orthopaedic surgeons, 3 specialist nurses, 2 senior extended scope physiotherapists, 2 orthotists and a research officer. It is well supported by junior medical staff and a Foot and Ankle fellow. The unit has pioneered a fully digitalised IT data collection system, which allows both audit and clinical research to be undertaken. The service is enhanced by the provision of a dedicated adolescent unit and an Intensive Therapy/High Dependency Unit. The unit runs weekly multidisciplinary education, audit and radiology meetings, in association with consultant musculoskeletal radiologists. The unit works closely with Pain management and Physiotherapy services.

Main duties of the job

The RNOH is a tertiary referral centre dealing with complex cases from across the country. This role is with the Foot and Ankle Unit and is split between outpatient clinics, operating theatre and supervising in-patient care. Registrars will be exposed to a wide variety of elective foot and ankle cases with an emphasis on complex and tertiary cases both in the outpatient and operating theatre setting. The successful candidate would be expected to be involved with the departmental research, audit and teaching projects and submit at least one project for peer review.

About us

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 among all Trusts in North and Central London for all People Promises and themes.
• Ranked 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.

Job responsibilities

This fellowship year will provide specialist training in the following:-

• MDT administration and delivery for tertiary referrals
• Pre and post-op ward rounds
• Surgical multidisciplinary procedures
• Clinics & theatre list
• Clinical research including data collection and audit.
• Preparation of abstracts and papers for presentation and publication

The post is dedicated to the development of high level clinical and research experience in the field of spinal deformity correction. Additionally the fellow will prepare a surgical plan for each patient.

Participation and presentation of interesting/complex cases at the weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings for spinal deformity patients. In addition to routine clinical commitments and research session the fellow may also be called upon to occasionally teach MSc students, specialist registrars and more.

Person Specification Postgraduate Qualifications

• Full registration with GMC
• FRCS NTN in relevant surgical specialty
• Within 6 months of CCT date
• fellowship already undertaken or close to end

Experience

• Knowledge in foot and ankle surgery
• Already developed an interest in foot and ankle
• Research with higher degree ideally in relevant specialty
• Experience of MDT working

Knowledge/Skills

• Evidence of good written and verbal communication skills
• An understanding of the major risk factors for foot and ankle surgery at a population level and at the level of the individual
• Awareness of specific needs of foot and ankle patients and their carers, issues relating to service provision for patients in hospital and the community
• Ability and enthusiasm to teach medical undergraduates and Allied Health Professionals Personal participation in audit

Disposition

• Clarity of career aims, in particular reasons for choosing fellowship post in spinal deformity and spinal trauma surgery
• Evidence of being a good team member
• Active interest in research and audit
• ommitment and interest in research, Recognition of the importance of research in the field of foot and ankle development and treatment.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust