Podiatry within the NHS

Working as a podiatrist in the NHS

Working as a podiatrist in the NHS means you’ll be helping people with a range of conditions, diagnosing and treating mobility issues, infections and keeping people active and pain-free.

Not only that, but you’ll have the opportunity to work with other healthcare professionals like nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians and GPs in lots of different environments such as:

• Hospitals
• Community centres/clinics
• In patients’ homes
• GP surgeries.

Entry requirements to work in the NHS

You will need to have completed an approved degree in podiatry. This can be either an:

• Undergraduate degree in one of the 15 UK and Ireland podiatry schools 
• A Masters in Podiatry (if you already have an undergraduate degree in another subject)
• A degree apprenticeship - find out more about the apprenticeship route here.

Funding

The NHS makes funding available for any person studying a health-related undergraduate or postgraduate degree. You can receive up to £6,000 a year to help fund your studies if you are eligible. Depending on your personal situation, you could receive more. Find out more on the NHS website.

Developing your career in the NHS

In the NHS, you will have annual Continuing Professional Development (CPD) check-ins with your managers. They are designed to help you talk about what you want to accomplish in your career and how the NHS can support you to achieve it. There are many things you’ll be invited to consider, like:

• do you wish to specialise in sports, diabetes, MSK or working with children?
• Would you like to teach podiatry and train the next generation of the profession?
• Would you like to become a Podiatry Manager, overseeing a team and budgets?
• Or, do you want to become an advanced practitioner or podiatric surgeon?

Hours and salary

In the NHS, you will typically work a 37.5-hour week, which may include evenings and weekends. You will be paid on the Agenda for Change (AFC) pay system and you will usually start at Band 5.

Other benefits include access to the generous NHS pension scheme and 27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.

Vacancies

You can visit the NHS Careers website to see live podiatrist vacancies in the NHS.

The RCPod’s jobs board mostly contains roles in independent practices, but it has also now started posting job roles and apprenticeships in the NHS. Visit the RCPod’s jobs board to see all the current vacancies.