Senior Physiotherapist (Neurosurgery)

Job overview

This post is also suitable for a Band 5 transitioning to Band 6 on completion of training and competency to deliver neurosurgical services within UHP NHS Trust.

Applicants will need previous experience working as a physiotherapist, across a broad range of specialities, including medicine / respiratory / neurology / outpatients / orthopaedics. If you are looking to develop your career in this field this is an excellent prospect.

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***

Main duties of the job

To provide a high standard physiotherapy service to the neurosurgical clinical areas. This involves providing a seven day service to neurosurgery.

To assist the Team Leaders in planning, coordinating, delivering and evaluating the Physiotherapy Service provided to patients within the team, on a day-to-day basis.

To assess and treat own caseload of patients, who may have complex presentations and to maintain own records as an autonomous practitioner.

To deputise for the Team Leaders when necessary.

To perform advanced physiotherapeutic assessment of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions, to provide a diagnosis and develop and deliver an individualised treatment programme.

Access to advice and support from specialist physiotherapists is available if required, clinical work is not routinely evaluated.

To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.

Supervise, educate and assess the performance of physiotherapy students and more junior staff; this would be to a graduate standard and involve working with universities to ensure the standard of practice and teaching meets the standards set by the degree level qualification.

Working for our organisation

It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

1. To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of own work, including the management of patients in your care.
2. To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) standards and local/Trust policy. To communicate appropriately with other disciplines (this might include meetings, report and letter writing)
3. To undertake a comprehensive assessment of patients including those with diverse or complex presentations/multi pathologies; use advanced clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an accurate clinical diagnosis of their condition.
4. Formulate and deliver an individual physiotherapy treatment programme based on a sound knowledge of evidence based practice and treatment options using clinical assessment, reasoning skills and knowledge of treatment skills e.g. specialist neurological or respiratory techniques, manual physiotherapy techniques, patient education, and other alternative options.
5. To take delegated responsibility from the Band 7 physiotherapist for managing patients with particular conditions and be responsible for providing specialist physiotherapy assessment and treatment plans for patients with these conditions.
6. Formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing comprehensive management plans.
7. Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent, which must be documented and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. To comply with local confidentiality policies, child protection and vulnerable adult procedures.
8. Use an extensive range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers; to motivate, gain co-operation, to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes. This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating. For example, patients may be dysphasic, depressed, deaf, blind or who may be unable to accept diagnosis, or realistic expectations of Physiotherapy intervention.
9. Evaluate patient progress, reassess and alter treatment programmes if required.
10. To manage clinical risk within own patient caseload and to report incidents and near misses

See the attached job description for the role, and (where applicable) you can download a copy of the full job description.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Post graduate demonstrable experience in core rotations: Neurology or Neurosurgery, Acute Respiratory, Orthopaedics/MSK
• Demonstrable experience of working acute hospital
• Demonstrable experience of teaching
• An awareness of current NHS and Health issues influencing this post
• Proven evidence of contribution to clinical education / supervision of less experienced staff, students or assistants
• Demonstrable experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Proven evidence of relevant CPD

• Previous demonstrable experience of working in Neurosurgical unit
• Demonstrable experience working with tracheostomy patients
• Clinical educator.
• Audit demonstrable experience.
• Demonstrable experience of working in a major trauma unit.
• Demonstrable experience of working at Band 6 level.

Qualifications

• Degree (BSc Hons Physiotherapy) or equivalent.
• HCPC registration.
• Attendance at additional relevant professional courses

• MSc relevant to the area
• Leadership qualification

Aptitude and Abilities

• Demonstrates effective and adaptable communication skills including written and verbal
• Professional manner

• Demonstrable experience of deputising for senior

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY INCLUDING YOUR JUNK FOLDER.

If you need support with the online application process or require reasonable adjustments with the application and/or interview process please contact the Recruiting Manager for this post.

We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants about less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. We recommend contacting the manager of the role prior to applying and we commit to giving requests full consideration.

We welcome and encourage applicants who identify with all protected characteristics to apply for our roles. We believe that diversity strengthens our teams and improves our patients' experience. At UHP we aim to create an inclusive workplace and hospital where everyone feels they belong and included.

It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Providing false information is an offence & could result in the application being rejected or summary dismissal/police action if an applicant is successful.

This is an automated process & the information will only be used for these purposes prior to your taking up the position with us.

For Doctors Roles:

Unsolicited CVs and Candidate Profiles/Details

University Hospitals Plymouth has a commitment to sourcing candidates directly and as such we do not accept speculative CVs from agencies.

We do, however, work with a defined list of preferred HTE Framework suppliers who may be invited to support us in sourcing candidates for particular roles.

In line with our preferred supplier list, we only pay agency fees where we have a signed agreement in place and an agency has been instructed by a member of the Trust’s Medical Workforce team.

We do not pay agency fees where speculative and unsolicited CVs are submitted to the Trust or Trust employees by any other means than the official route above. Where this is not observed the Trust reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and initiate discussions without payment of any agency fee.

Any candidate details (whether written or spoken) or CVs that are referred directly will not constitute an introduction. The Trust will under no circumstances be responsible for any recruitment fees in relation to these contacts.

Submission of any unsolicited CVs, candidate’s details and/or proposals to the Trust will not be considered further and will be deemed evidence of full and unlimited acceptance of this Agency Protocol.

In order to establish and maintain good working relationships with the Trust’s agency suppliers, we ask that this Protocol is adhered to and thank you for your co-operation.