First Contact Physiotherapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

1) To establish, run and develop a progressive First Contact Physiotherapy Service for West Hove Primary Care Network patients.

2) To provide this service to patients with both acute and chronic symptoms that require initial assessment and management

3) To provide early physiotherapy treatment and assessment in a holistic patient focused manner. Assessment will include requesting appropriate investigations.

4) To lead First Contact Physiotherapy audit and input to the network. In addition to contribute to The Quality Outcomes Framework, Direct Enhanced Services and Impact And Investment Fund targets where appropriate.

5) The role holder(s) will communicate clearly and effectively with the network team (both clinical and non-clinical roles) and patients.

6) Completion of high quality clinical notes and plans in the electronic patient records that can easily be understood and referenced by others.

7) The post holder must work independently to manage cases within their clinical competency to include onward referral to suitable community and secondary care services within the scope of their practice.

8) First Contact Physiotherapists in West Hove primary Care Network should happy to consult via interpreters (in person and via phone).

9) The post may include assessment of pregnant patients (in a First Contact Physiotherapy capacity)

10) The First Contact Physiotherapy role will include a wide variety of patient interaction to include: Face To Face Consultation, Telephone Consultation, Video Consultation, E-consultation, Electronic Tasks and Home Visits.

11) The position holder will seek to guide and encourage patient self-management where appropriate, share resources for this across the network and promote this within West Hove Primary care Network

12) Use of a wide range of clinical skills (within current scope of experience) relevant to treatment and assessment of patients. Examples may include (but are not limited to) physical examination, joint injections, guided exercise and suitable complimentary therapies.

13) While independent working is required the post holder must also be happy to work collaboratively with other members of West Hove primary Care Network and broader MDT teams where appropriate.

14) First Contact Physiotherapists must ensure they remain up to date with the latest clinical developments relevant to their scope of practice and must ensure they maintain all relevant competencies for practice.

15) A willingness and flexibility to develop and refine the role over time is essential and in line with the ethos of island City Network.

16) The First Contact Physiotherapist will triage, see and manage patients within reasonable agreed timescales consistent with the activity levels required to meet patient demand within a General Practice setting.

Person Specification

Skills, Knowledge and personal experience

Essential

• Ability to work independently within a Primary Care Network team.
• A knowledge and understanding of General Practice that empowers the First Contact Physiotherapist to understand how to take on and reduce workload from other clinicians.
• To organize and prioritize own work
• Good communication and networking skills
• Ability to problem solve variable situations and variables
• Good IT skills
• Understanding of the wider primary care health care and social aspects
• Knowledge of local physiotherapy and MSK services and referral pathways
• Enthusiastic and dynamic approach
• Good communication that inspires trust and confidence
• Good listening skills and empathic approach
• High levels of motivation and professionalism
• Good time keeping skills
• Reliability
• Ability to work under pressure
• Emotional resilience
• Innovative Spirit
• A sense of humour
• Generic Responsibilities

Qualifications

Essential

• Completion of undergraduate degree in physiotherapy and registration with Health and Care Professions Council.
• Practice portfolio demonstrating experience in core physiotherapy and MSK physiotherapy

Desirable

• Member of chartered society of physiotherapy
• Independent prescriber Qualification or steps towards this
• Further Post Graduate Physiotherapy Qualifications or Diplomas

Experience

Essential

• 1.Demonstrates general physiotherapy skills and knowledge in core areas
• 2. 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
• 3. Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service
• provision
• 4. 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
• 5. Integrates a broad range of interventions into practice, including injection therapy and
• independent prescribing, while also promoting non-pharmacological solutions to patient
• care
• 6. 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
• 7. 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
• 8. Able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and
• codes of conduct
• 9. Involves patients in decision making and supporting adherence as per NICE guidance

Desirable

• -Working knowledge of General Practice
• -Broad MSK Physiotherapy experience and qualification
• -Prior First Contact MSK Physiotherapy work or equivalent

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

West Hove Primary Care Network

Address

Church Road

Portslade

Brighton

BN41 1LX

Employer's website

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