Senior Specialist Neonatal Physiotherapist
Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup.St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it.Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.
Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.
In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.
We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’.Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’.
The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS.We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.
We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS.
Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to join the outstanding Paediatric Physiotherapy Team at the Evelina London Children's Hospital. This post is a Senior Specialist Neonatal Physiotherapist post based on the neonatal unit which is a busy level 3 unit, including surgical, cardiac, renal and neurology specialities.The post holder will work closely with the Neonatal Multidisciplinary team, alongside an established Neonatal Allied Health Professionals Team. The post holder will need to be able to provide physiotherapy assessment and management of complex infants on the neonatal unit and in clinics, provide supervision to junior members of the team and will be involved in implementing service developments with data collection and analysis of information in order to identify areas for improvement.
Main duties of the job
To take a lead role, as an autonomous practitioner, in the advanced assessment and treatment of acutely ill neonatal patients, with respiratory, orthopaedic, neurology, cardiac and neuro-developmental problems who may have complex multi-pathology / chronic presentation.
- To provide specialist assessments and advice in neonatal follow up clinics and in neonatal neurology clinics based at Evelina London.
- Supervise and teach physiotherapists /physiotherapy assistants / students, and the wider Neonatal MDT.
- Undertake evidence-based projects, including recommendations for change in practice and may participate in departmental research and audit
- Deputise for physiotherapy team leaders in operational management
Working for our organisation
The neonatal physiotherapy team consists of one band 8 clinical specialist, one band 7 and one rotational band 6 physiotherapist, covering the neonatal unit, post natal ward and some follow up clinics. The wider Evelina London Paediatric Physiotherapy Team covers a wider range of specialities across several different sites.
Evelina London is part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. We are the second largest provider of children's services in London. Out vision is to be the world leading centre of life changing care for children, young people and their families.
We care for more than 104,000 children and young people each year at our hospital and community sites. Our neonatal unit cares for around 800 babies a year, and has some of the best survival rates in the UK.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description for full details of the roles and responsibilities of the post.
Person specification
Previous Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of post registration management of infants on the neonatal unit/ high risk infants including in respiratory and developmental/ neurological assessment
- Experience in the physiotherapy management of patients in paediatrics in a variety of settings
- Experience in leading service development
- Previous experience at Band 7 level with neuro -developmental and neonatal bias.
- Experience of managing other physiotherapists
- Experience of working in PICU
Skills/ Knowledge/ Ability
Essential criteria- Knowledge of a wide range of approaches to the management of complex patients in neonatal intensive care, (respiratory, surgical, orthopaedic and developmental)
- Evidence of clinical teaching to the wider MDT
- Knowledge and training in LAPI, Prechtl, Bayley, Hammersmith assessments.
- Knowledge of current national policies/standards/initiatives in Paediatrics / neonatal care.
Educaton/ Qualification
Essential criteria- Diploma/ Degree in Physiotherapy
- HPCP Registration
- MSc in relevant subject or equivalent level of post-graduate specialist training short courses, specific training
- Membership of relevant National specialist interest group
Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.
Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy.
As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends.
Flexible working
We are committed to supporting all employees to achieve a healthy work life balance and to work in a way that is best for them and our patients. We will consider all requests to work flexibly, taking in to account the individual’s personal circumstances as well the needs of the service.We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process.
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