First Contact Physiotherapist (FCP) MSK Band 7

Job responsibilities

To act as a First Contact Physiotherapist Practitioner in Primary Care providing clinical expertise, diagnostics and decision making to manage MSK patients older than 18 years of age. This will involve seeing patients without prior contact with their GP.

To support self-management, facilitating: behavioural change in line with public health; mobility and physical activity; personal goal achievement and minimising the need for pharmacological intervention.

To operate according to the FCP MSK Memorandum of Understanding / Agreement in GP practices, managing the GP MSK patient workload through independent assessment, diagnosis and ongoing management of the Patients musculoskeletal concern.

The Post Holder will develop good working relationships with:

Lead GP

Surgery Manager

Physiotherapy Team Lead & Physiotherapy team

MDTs to include Colleagues/GPs/APs/Nurses/Pharmacists/Consultants/Other

Patients and their relatives/carers

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree / Diploma in Physiotherapy
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of CPD including specialism specific postgraduate courses

Desirable

• Member of Clinical Interest Groups relevant to post
• Independent prescribing qualification
• Injection therapy qualification
• Masters level CPD in an appropriate subject
• Current IRMER training and competency in requesting appropriate radiological investigations

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrates current advanced postgraduate knowledge, evidence based practice and experience within the Physiotherapy Services MSK Specialism
• Understanding of professional ethics and their application in practice
• Knowledge of current NHS and professional issues and their relevance to the service and adult and child safeguarding
• Previous experience in the ability to pass on MSK skills/knowledge to others and multi-professional groups within both formal and informal environments
• High level assessment skills, clinical reasoning and management planning for patients with complex needs
• Ability to see both Peripheral and Spinal MSK patients

Desirable

• Knowledge of pathology and blood tests used in MSK
• An understanding of the patients perspective of NHS healthcare
• Previous experience of teaching and supervising therapists, students, healthcare professionals
• Previous experience of working as a Senior MSK clinician
• Experience in MSK service developments and initiating and leading audit projects

Skills and ability

Essential

• Able to carry out manual therapy interventions and administer MSK practice interventions
• Able to undertake therapeutic handling of patients, including those who are heavily dependent physically
• Physically fit and able to comply with Practice Manual Handling Guidelines
• Skills in shared decision making
• Skills in social prescribing and evidence based self-management
• Able to self-direct clinical work and delegate clinical work, appropriately
• Able to work autonomously with individuals and in groups
• Able to physically instruct clinicians in therapeutic handling skills
• Advanced communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to adapt and seek out innovative ways to overcome communication barriers, including virtual and telephone consults
• Remain calm, exercising good judgement whilst under pressure

Desirable

• Evidence of building clinical /professional relationships to share knowledge and best practice to enhance quality patient care
• Evidence of developing advanced clinical practice techniques / administrations
• Experience of working in General Practice
• Experience of clinical IT systems (EMIS)
• Advanced skills in report management and Secondary Care specialist referral
• Development of clinical leadership skills

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).