Job summary
We have an exciting new opportunity as the Clinical Lead for Acute Medicine covering our Emergency Department, Acute Assessment areas and our Medical Short Stay.
We work very closely with our OT colleagues within this fast paced environment aiming to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions which we know is not always the best option for everyone alongside starting intervention early to reduce LOS for people who are admitted. As a fairly new service the Physio Team currently consists of 2 B6 posts alongside this B7 role but there is opportunity for expansion in the future with lots of service development on the horizon.
As a department we are very keen to support and develop our staff through a substantial CPD offering. We encourage CDP through a wide range of internal and external opportunities. We can provide funding to support development through Masters Modules, PGCert and study days alongside more leadership opportunities such as the Mary Seacole Programme amongst many others.
Previous experiences working within the NHS is essential and this post is currently part of the weekend working and on call rotas.
Main duties of the job
- To take a leading role in the advanced assessment, clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients in acute and emergency medical areas. These patients may have complex and/or chronic presentations.
- To provide an effective high quality service to patients within the medical speciality and take a lead role in supervision and teaching of physiotherapists and staff within that speciality.
- To act as a specialist resource for the multi-disciplinary team and physiotherapists within WPH.
- To provide skilled team leadership and be responsible for service development, to implement policy and policy changes in own clinical area and to set and monitor standards of practice.
- To undertake evidence based projects and recommend change in practice accordingly and to lead in appropriate departmental research and audit in this clinical area.
- To deputise for the Principal physiotherapist in their absence
- To work closely alongside OT team lead and deputise for each other during periods of absence.
About us
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust provides NHS hospital services for around 900,000 people across Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and south Buckinghamshire.
As well as delivering excellent general hospital services to local people, we provide specialist heart attack, vascular, stroke, spinal, cystic fibrosis and plastic surgery services across a much wider area.
We have three main hospitals - Frimley Park in Frimley near Camberley, Heatherwood in Ascot and Wexham Park near Slough.
Our three core values, and the behaviours that support them, guide everything we do and set out what we expect of our staff in the way they treat patients, visitors, service users and each other, Committed to Excellence, Working Together and Facing the Future.
We are also proud to host the Defence Medical Group South East at Frimley Park with military surgical, medical and nursing personnel working alongside the hospital's NHS staff providing care to patients in all specialties
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To be responsible in conjunction with the Principal physiotherapist for the setting and monitoring of standards and policies of clinical practice for the areas within the acute medicine and the emergency department that your team are responsible for and evaluating their outcomes.
- To achieve and maintain a high standard of clinical care using evidence-based practices and encourage this throughout the medical physiotherapy team and the physiotherapy department.
- To provide advice on specialised physiotherapy care and treatment for complex patients ensuring good links are maintained with the multidisciplinary team. This will be achieved by using highly developed communication and clinical skills, theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience, seeking guidance as required by peers or an external specialist.
- To undertake the specialist assessment, carry out diagnostic procedures and interpret the results for patients with multi-faceted respiratory and/or rehabilitation problems during 0-72 hour pathway (inclusive of: Emergency Department, Acute Assessment Unit and Medical Short Stay Unit )and be able to manage those patients with a complex presentation using investigative and analytical skills.
- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your professional activities working within codes of practice and professional guidelines. This includes patient documentation in both professional and medical notes and recording daily activity data.
- To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner to undertake a significant specialist clinical workload and using clinical reasoning skills to utilise a wide range of treatment skills and options in order to formulate a specialised programme of care.
- To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance, clinical risk and to demonstrate the use of treatment plans with an evidence based link.
- To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including highly developed manual physiotherapy techniques and therapeutic handling. There is a frequent requirement to exert moderate physical effort for several short periods during the day.
- To keep up to date with clinical developments, analysing current research and discussing and implementing changes in clinical practice.
- To be responsible for the safe use of equipment used in carrying out physiotherapy duties, adhering to the departments medical devices policy. This includes competence and accuracy to use specialist equipment by you and other healthcare professionals, carers and patients.
- To participate in the respiratory on call rota.
- 7 day working and extended days will be dependent on service need
This job will involve frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions e.g. bodily fluids, including sputum, unpleasant smells and occasional exposure to hostility in the form of verbal and physical aggression.
Management
- To support the Principal physiotherapist in the day to day operational management of the acute medical physiotherapy service.
- To work with the Principal physiotherapist developing the strategic and operational management of the acute medical physiotherapy service.
- To plan and prioritise own workload both clinical and managerial (e.g. specialist group meetings) including responding to urgent referrals and unpredictable workload and assist the team with theirs. This will require prolonged concentration in an unpredictable environment.
- To be able to manage frequently stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner when imparting bad news regarding rehabilitation potential e.g. neurological patients, patients with long term conditions. To ensure this is communicated sensitively to all parties concerned.
- To participate in the Trusts appraisal scheme both as appraisee and as an appraiser.
- To line manage senior physiotherapists, physiotherapists and technician/assistants including objective setting, appraisals, training and supervision.
- To be responsible for the induction of new staff, Acute Medical Team.
- To be responsible for students on clinical placement with the Acute Medical team and maintain good links with the universities.
- To maintain and provide accurate and timely statistics which are both computer and paper based and ensure other staff in the team does likewise.
- To respond to changes within Acute Medicine which impacts on the delivery of patient care by the physiotherapy service.
- To initiate and lead projects as requested by the principal therapist, these may impact beyond the physiotherapy department.
Communication
- To initiate and maintain contacts with local and national clinical interest groups appropriate to the clinical field and to share and disseminate knowledge with colleagues working within the Trust and in the Community.
- To communicate effectively and advise other disciplines both internally and externally to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to care both verbally and by providing clinic letters/discharge reports.
- To ensure good communication occurs with physiotherapy colleagues when there is a transfer of patients from the Acute Medical wards within the trust or externally to other centres.
- To arrange follow-up outpatient physiotherapy or onward referral for relevant discharge schemes as required ensuring a seamless service is maintained.
- To be able to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff including imparting unwelcome news.
- To be able to advise and support medical patients and their Carers.
- To ensure timely and effective communication with the Physiotherapy Manager and senior staff on all professional matters.
- To maintain an accurate record keeping system in line with CSP standards and local guidelines.
- To attend any ward rounds, meetings, clinics, case conferences as appropriate in order to ensure appropriate and timely management of patients through to discharge.
- To attend and be an active participant in speciality, peer group and department staff meetings.
- To be able to motivate others through effective communication skills and to be able to gain co-operation where appropriate for treatment where there may be significant barriers to understand such as cognitive impairment, memory loss.
- To use interpreters when required to ensure effective communication occurs with patients who are hard of hearing or do not speak/understand enough English for the purposes of consent and co-operation for treatment.
- To report all complaints/incidents immediately to the senior member of staff and document accordingly.
Education
- To assist in the supervision and the professional development of physiotherapists who rotate through the Acute Medical team.
- To be responsible for assisting in the training of students on placement, Junior and Senior Physiotherapy staff, technicians and assistants within your clinical area.
- To be responsible for and actively record your own continued Professional Development. To be proactive with regard to learning from other physiotherapy staff within the department and other MDT staff in the Trust.
- To keep abreast of all new developments which includes relevant study days and visits to specialist units and to ensure that staff within the team do likewise.
- To be actively involved in the appropriate clinical interest groups.
- To disseminate knowledge to physiotherapy staff through in-service training and be available for training other healthcare professionals on study days and on the wards, particularly in use of appropriate respiratory equipment and mobilising techniques.
- To have a significant input in the on call training programme for all relevant staff (either newly qualified or new to the Trust), this will include assessing staff competence .to treat patients on the Medical Unit.
Research/Audit/Quality
- To regularly participate in and lead an appropriate work related research/evaluation projects and to be aware of current research relevant to the speciality.
- In line with the Trusts commitment to Clinical Governance, to participate in and initiate clinical audit and the evaluation of clinical effectiveness.
- To assist in devising an annual business plan which, as part of the Performance Plan, is monitored on a quarterly basis.
- To ensure that all research, audit and quality initiatives are communicated fully with the speciality team and are included in the departments annual report.
- To contribute to the education of multi-disciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To be responsible in conjunction with the Principal physiotherapist for the setting and monitoring of standards and policies of clinical practice for the areas within the acute medicine and the emergency department that your team are responsible for and evaluating their outcomes.
- To achieve and maintain a high standard of clinical care using evidence-based practices and encourage this throughout the medical physiotherapy team and the physiotherapy department.
- To provide advice on specialised physiotherapy care and treatment for complex patients ensuring good links are maintained with the multidisciplinary team. This will be achieved by using highly developed communication and clinical skills, theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience, seeking guidance as required by peers or an external specialist.
- To undertake the specialist assessment, carry out diagnostic procedures and interpret the results for patients with multi-faceted respiratory and/or rehabilitation problems during 0-72 hour pathway (inclusive of: Emergency Department, Acute Assessment Unit and Medical Short Stay Unit )and be able to manage those patients with a complex presentation using investigative and analytical skills.
- To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your professional activities working within codes of practice and professional guidelines. This includes patient documentation in both professional and medical notes and recording daily activity data.
- To be responsible as an autonomous practitioner to undertake a significant specialist clinical workload and using clinical reasoning skills to utilise a wide range of treatment skills and options in order to formulate a specialised programme of care.
- To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance, clinical risk and to demonstrate the use of treatment plans with an evidence based link.
- To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including highly developed manual physiotherapy techniques and therapeutic handling. There is a frequent requirement to exert moderate physical effort for several short periods during the day.
- To keep up to date with clinical developments, analysing current research and discussing and implementing changes in clinical practice.
- To be responsible for the safe use of equipment used in carrying out physiotherapy duties, adhering to the departments medical devices policy. This includes competence and accuracy to use specialist equipment by you and other healthcare professionals, carers and patients.
- To participate in the respiratory on call rota.
- 7 day working and extended days will be dependent on service need
This job will involve frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions e.g. bodily fluids, including sputum, unpleasant smells and occasional exposure to hostility in the form of verbal and physical aggression.
Management
- To support the Principal physiotherapist in the day to day operational management of the acute medical physiotherapy service.
- To work with the Principal physiotherapist developing the strategic and operational management of the acute medical physiotherapy service.
- To plan and prioritise own workload both clinical and managerial (e.g. specialist group meetings) including responding to urgent referrals and unpredictable workload and assist the team with theirs. This will require prolonged concentration in an unpredictable environment.
- To be able to manage frequently stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner when imparting bad news regarding rehabilitation potential e.g. neurological patients, patients with long term conditions. To ensure this is communicated sensitively to all parties concerned.
- To participate in the Trusts appraisal scheme both as appraisee and as an appraiser.
- To line manage senior physiotherapists, physiotherapists and technician/assistants including objective setting, appraisals, training and supervision.
- To be responsible for the induction of new staff, Acute Medical Team.
- To be responsible for students on clinical placement with the Acute Medical team and maintain good links with the universities.
- To maintain and provide accurate and timely statistics which are both computer and paper based and ensure other staff in the team does likewise.
- To respond to changes within Acute Medicine which impacts on the delivery of patient care by the physiotherapy service.
- To initiate and lead projects as requested by the principal therapist, these may impact beyond the physiotherapy department.
Communication
- To initiate and maintain contacts with local and national clinical interest groups appropriate to the clinical field and to share and disseminate knowledge with colleagues working within the Trust and in the Community.
- To communicate effectively and advise other disciplines both internally and externally to ensure a multi-disciplinary approach to care both verbally and by providing clinic letters/discharge reports.
- To ensure good communication occurs with physiotherapy colleagues when there is a transfer of patients from the Acute Medical wards within the trust or externally to other centres.
- To arrange follow-up outpatient physiotherapy or onward referral for relevant discharge schemes as required ensuring a seamless service is maintained.
- To be able to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff including imparting unwelcome news.
- To be able to advise and support medical patients and their Carers.
- To ensure timely and effective communication with the Physiotherapy Manager and senior staff on all professional matters.
- To maintain an accurate record keeping system in line with CSP standards and local guidelines.
- To attend any ward rounds, meetings, clinics, case conferences as appropriate in order to ensure appropriate and timely management of patients through to discharge.
- To attend and be an active participant in speciality, peer group and department staff meetings.
- To be able to motivate others through effective communication skills and to be able to gain co-operation where appropriate for treatment where there may be significant barriers to understand such as cognitive impairment, memory loss.
- To use interpreters when required to ensure effective communication occurs with patients who are hard of hearing or do not speak/understand enough English for the purposes of consent and co-operation for treatment.
- To report all complaints/incidents immediately to the senior member of staff and document accordingly.
Education
- To assist in the supervision and the professional development of physiotherapists who rotate through the Acute Medical team.
- To be responsible for assisting in the training of students on placement, Junior and Senior Physiotherapy staff, technicians and assistants within your clinical area.
- To be responsible for and actively record your own continued Professional Development. To be proactive with regard to learning from other physiotherapy staff within the department and other MDT staff in the Trust.
- To keep abreast of all new developments which includes relevant study days and visits to specialist units and to ensure that staff within the team do likewise.
- To be actively involved in the appropriate clinical interest groups.
- To disseminate knowledge to physiotherapy staff through in-service training and be available for training other healthcare professionals on study days and on the wards, particularly in use of appropriate respiratory equipment and mobilising techniques.
- To have a significant input in the on call training programme for all relevant staff (either newly qualified or new to the Trust), this will include assessing staff competence .to treat patients on the Medical Unit.
Research/Audit/Quality
- To regularly participate in and lead an appropriate work related research/evaluation projects and to be aware of current research relevant to the speciality.
- In line with the Trusts commitment to Clinical Governance, to participate in and initiate clinical audit and the evaluation of clinical effectiveness.
- To assist in devising an annual business plan which, as part of the Performance Plan, is monitored on a quarterly basis.
- To ensure that all research, audit and quality initiatives are communicated fully with the speciality team and are included in the departments annual report.
- To contribute to the education of multi-disciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- HCPC registered
- Degree or Dipolma in Physiotherapy
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of best clinical practice in relevant speciality
- Understanding of professional ethics and their application in practice
- Evidence of some managerial training
- Knowledge of evidence based practice
- Evidence of recent post graduate study in relevant clinical area
- Demonstrate understanding & involvement of Clinical Governance and risk assessment
- Broad knowledge of health legislation
- Clinical Educators training
Desirable
- Member of relevant clinical interest group
Competencies for Role
Essential
- Interpersonal skills to include concise and effective verbal and written reports
- Computer literacy
- Time management
- Organisational skills
- Supervisory and appraisal skills
- Able to reflect and critically appraise own performance
- Able to think logically and problem solve
- Analytical skills demonstrated both clinically and managerially
- Able to present information to a group
- Teaching skills
- Be able to work single handily with individuals and in groups
Professional / Specialist / Functional Experience
Essential
- At Band 6 level - in relevant clinical area within NHS
- Comprehensive post graduate experience in the following clinical areas, General Medicine, Respiratory , Orthopaedics, Surgery/ICU and Neuro and Elderly Care
- Training and supervision to support all physiotherapy staff and students
- Multidisciplinary working
- Experience of audit
- On-call working
Desirable
- Development of a project or service
- Research
- Leadership - first line management
- Experience working in AMU or ED within the NHS
Special Requirements
Essential
- To participate in on call
- To participate in rostered working
- Ability to be flexible regarding working arrangements as local circumstances may change to meet service requirements
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- HCPC registered
- Degree or Dipolma in Physiotherapy
- Demonstrate up to date knowledge of best clinical practice in relevant speciality
- Understanding of professional ethics and their application in practice
- Evidence of some managerial training
- Knowledge of evidence based practice
- Evidence of recent post graduate study in relevant clinical area
- Demonstrate understanding & involvement of Clinical Governance and risk assessment
- Broad knowledge of health legislation
- Clinical Educators training
Desirable
- Member of relevant clinical interest group
Competencies for Role
Essential
- Interpersonal skills to include concise and effective verbal and written reports
- Computer literacy
- Time management
- Organisational skills
- Supervisory and appraisal skills
- Able to reflect and critically appraise own performance
- Able to think logically and problem solve
- Analytical skills demonstrated both clinically and managerially
- Able to present information to a group
- Teaching skills
- Be able to work single handily with individuals and in groups
Professional / Specialist / Functional Experience
Essential
- At Band 6 level - in relevant clinical area within NHS
- Comprehensive post graduate experience in the following clinical areas, General Medicine, Respiratory , Orthopaedics, Surgery/ICU and Neuro and Elderly Care
- Training and supervision to support all physiotherapy staff and students
- Multidisciplinary working
- Experience of audit
- On-call working
Desirable
- Development of a project or service
- Research
- Leadership - first line management
- Experience working in AMU or ED within the NHS
Special Requirements
Essential
- To participate in on call
- To participate in rostered working
- Ability to be flexible regarding working arrangements as local circumstances may change to meet service requirements
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.
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).
Additional information
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).
