First Contact Physiotherapist in General Practice

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

• The first contact physiotherapist will work autonomously and provide clinical expertise in musculoskeletal and related conditions. This will involve making decisions about the best course of action for patients' care.

• The pathway will involve screening patients initially by telephone, without prior GP contact. Further contact should lead to a rapid and accurate diagnosis following assessment and a suitable management plan covering a range of musculoskeletal conditions. This should result in self-management or treatment from the most appropriate clinical pathway.

• During the assessment, there should be an expectation if required, to be able to request investigations to facilitate diagnosis and the choice of treatment regime. This may include x-rays and blood tests. There will be an expectation that the clinician will interpret and act on these results to aid the diagnosis and management of their patients.

• An expectation to escalate into secondary care services independently would be required if this was clinically necessary. Such examples include:-

• Orthopaedic triage interface services

• Rheumatology;

• Chronic Pain;

• Community MSK Physiotherapy

• Occupational Health

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Takes professional responsibility as a first-contact physiotherapist, with high-level decision-making and clinical-reasoning skills to assess, diagnose and triage of patients
• Manages a complex caseload (including patients with long-term conditions, comorbidities and multi-factorial needs),
• Leads, manages and contributes to service delivery,
• Accountable for decisions and actions via HCPC registration, supported by a professional culture of peer networking/review and engagement in evidence-based practice
• Streamlines pathway of care by providing a responsive service so that patients receive timely access to care
• Ensures care is proactive, preventive in focus and population based, with an emphasis on early intervention
• Provides care which is tailored to the individual needs. This would include, appraising the impact of individuals' clinical status on their general health, well-being, employment status (including in relation to function, physical activity, mobility and independence
• Supports patients to set their own goals and be confident in their approach to self-management
• Communicates effectively and appropriately with patients and carers complex and sensitive information regarding diagnosis, pathology and prognosis.
• Uses a range of clinical skills which may include a. non-medical independent prescribing b. joint / soft tissue injections c. joint aspirations
• Provides learning opportunities for the whole multi professional team within primary care.
• Works with MDT to develop more effective and streamlined clinical pathways and services
• Exercises professional judgement, making, justifying and taking responsibility for decisions in unpredictable situations, including in the context of incomplete/contradictory information
• Manages interactions in complex situations, including with individuals with particular psychosocial and mental health needs and with colleagues across the primary care team, sectors and settings

• PERSON SPECIFICATION QUALIFICATIONS AND ONGOING LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Completion of an undergraduate degree in Physiotherapy, and registration with the Health and Care Professions Council

  • Able to demonstrate in practice portfolio experience in core physiotherapy and MSK physiotherapy

  • Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)

  • May hold or be working towards a prescribing qualification, joint injections.

  • May hold or be working towards a postgraduate physiotherapy qualification

  EXPERT PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

  • Demonstrates general physiotherapy skills and knowledge in core areas

  • Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general physiotherapy care programmes for patients in core areas, including disease states / long term conditions identified by local Needs Assessment

  • Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision

  • Exercise a critical understanding of personal scope of practice and to identify when a patient needs referring on and where there are opportunities for developing the scope and competence of the wider MDT to meet patient care needs

  • Integrates a broad range of interventions into practice, including injection therapy and independent prescribing, while also promoting non-pharmacological solutions to patient care

  • Through patient assessment and working in partnership with patients and their carers, make decisions about the best pathway of care, informed by the urgency and severity of patient need, patient acuity and dependency, and the most appropriate deployment of resources

  • Manage risk in unpredictable, uncertain situations to uphold patient safety, including by referring on to other primary care team members and to specialist services, as needed

  • Able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct

  • Involves patients in decision making and supporting adherence as per NICE guidance

  COLLABORATIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

  • Operate as a full member of the primary care team, including contributing to leadership, service evaluation/improvement and research activity

  • Manage and co-ordinate the care that individual patients receive, including through liaising with other members of the MDT and with patients' carers

  • Lead primary care activity, with a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention, including through the delivery of public health advice (e.g. relating to physical activity, weight management and smoking cessation)

  • Contribute to the use of healthcare technologies to optimise the integration of service delivery (across teams, sectors and settings) and patients access and continuity of care

  • Contribute to the development of primary care teams, including through contributing to others' learning

  • Demonstrates understanding of the physiotherapy role in governance and is able to implement this appropriately within the workplace

  • Demonstrates understanding of, and contributes to, the workplace vision

  • Demonstrates ability to improve quality within limitations of service

  • Reviews last years progress and develops clear plans to achieve results within priorities set by others

  • Demonstrates ability to motivate self to achieve goals

  • Demonstrates understanding of the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service

  • Demonstrates understanding of the process for effective resource utilisation

  • Demonstrates understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice

  • Demonstrates ability to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol

  • Follows professional and organisational policies/procedures relating to performance management

  • Represents the physiotherapy service on relevant committees and meetings, as a lead physiotherapy clinician, provide input in relation to specialist issues and clinical matters as required.

  • Assists Team Leaders in the efficient day to day management of the musculoskeletal service.

  EDUCATION, LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

  • Understands and demonstrates the characteristics of a role model to members in the team and/or service

  • Demonstrates understanding of the mentorship process

  • Demonstrates self-development through continuous professional development activity

  • Participates in the delivery of formal education programmes

  • Demonstrates an understanding of current educational policies relevant to working areas of practice and keeps up to date with relevant clinical practice

  RESEARCH AND EVALUATION

  • Demonstrates ability to critically evaluate and review literature

  • Demonstrates ability to identify where there is a gap in the evidence base to support practice

  • Demonstrates ability to generate evidence suitable for presentation at local level

  • Demonstrates ability to apply the research evidence base into working practice

  • Demonstrates understanding of the principles of research governance

  • Demonstrates ability to work as a member of the research team

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Physiotherapy degree
• HCPC registered

Experience

Essential

• Experience in working at a senior physiotherapist level seeing patients in a musculoskeletal setting (equivalent to Band 7 or 8a)
• Experience in ordering diagnostics/investigations & tests
• Prescribing and/or the ability to inject joints is desirable but not essential (training in these fields may be available to the right candidate)

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.

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

Phoenix Health Group

Address

9 Chesterton Lane

Cirencester

Gloucestershire

GL7 1XG

Employer's website

https://www.phoenixhealthgroup.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)