Acute Respiratory Physiotherapist

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £250m estates programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

Job overview

The Acute In-Patient Specialities Therapy Team is looking for a passionate, enthusiastic, acute Physiotherapist to work within our growing Acute Specialities Therapy Team. Our team is split to cover the clinical areas of Front Door (Acute Medical Unit), Surgery, Medicine, Gastro, Respiratory, oncology and Intensive Care

We believe passionately in team working and supporting our staff to achieve their best potential.

You will need experience in a wide range of ward based and respiratory skills to provide care for a diverse patient population. You must be able to work autonomously and as part of a team, be organised and have well developed communication and interpersonal skills.

You will be expected to support the team in the training and development of junior staff, physiotherapy students and those on the on call rota. We support ongoing individual professional training and development to provide holistic care to our patients.

Main duties of the job

There is a requirement for participation in on calls and a weekend rota. We would consider job share/ part-time working.

This role is a fixed term rotational physiotherapy post for 9 months to cover maternity leave. The successful candidate will join our established Band 6 rotations, with the opportunity to work across the different ward specialities

Interview Date: TBC

For Further information or to arrange an informal visit please do get in touch.

Working for our organisation

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

This service has a planned move from the Poole Hospital site to the Royal Bournemouth site in January 2026.

Please note if the role or service is relocated as part of a planned move, employees will not be eligible for excess mileage reimbursement. Travel from the postholder's home to the new work base will be considered a normal commute. Any other changes not related to this relocation will be managed according to the relevant Trust or National terms and conditions.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

Person specification

Qualifications

• B Sc (Hons) in Physiotherapy
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of CPD

• Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Fieldwork Supervision Course
• Post graduate education

Experience

• Evidence of Clinical Interventions in the Acute Setting and core clinical areas
• Physiotherapy experience managing surgical patients
• Physiotherapy experience managing acutely unwell patients
• Working in an acute and rehab settings
• Work allocation/caseload management
• Supervision of more junior staff
• Experience working within the NHS

• Student Placement Supervision
• Involvement in change and service development

Technical Skills and Competencies

• Ability to assess, manage and treat patients with complex multi pathologies at highly specialist level
• Skills in goal setting and using outcome measures
• Knowledge and skills in discharge planning and onward referral
• Skills in holistic assessment
• Problem Solving Skills
• Ability to produce clear written documentation of intervention and reports
• Therapeutic moving and handling skills
• Ability to prioritise clinical workload
• Ability working within the discharge to assess pathway

• Ability to teach and supervise junior staff and assistants

Knowledge

• Understanding of the pathologies that respiratory, endocrine, surgical, gastroenterology, cardiology, heamatology patients can present with
• Physiotherapy intervention for patients with respiratory, chronic, multi pathology and complex conditions
• Understanding NSF's, clinical governance and their relevance to clinical situations

• How to critique research articles and lead discussion groups

Other requirements specific to the role

• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to deal appropriately with difficult and sensitive situations
• Ability to teach patients, relatives, carers and staff
• Ability to work effectively in a team
• Experience liaising with outside agencies and disciplines

• Ability to provide clear, confident and effective instructions in individual and group setting

Personal Attributes

• Ability to drive and hold a clean drivers licence
• Ability to use a keyboard to access and input information from a computer based system
• Ability to move and handle patients and equipment and work in confined spaces
• Ability to participate in a weekend service and on call service

Language Requirement

• Be able to speak English as necessary to undertake the role

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.