Job responsibilities
Job Summary:
To act as a specialist physiotherapist in MSK
Outpatient conditions and manage patients referred to the Healthshare clinics
for assessment, clinical diagnosis and management.
To assess patients in a First contact
practitioner role in GP surgeries to assist in early diagnosis and
rehabilitation of suitable patients.
To be able to request diagnostic tests for
appropriate patients, interpret results and arrange further care for
appropriate patients, as an autonomous practitioner. To be able to discuss
complex patients with the multidisciplinary team.
To assist in clinical audits of the Service
and contribute to the development of the service in conjunction with the Physiotherapy
Management Team.
To contribute to the mentoring and
development of junior & senior staff.
To provide expert clinical leadership for
the physiotherapists within the team, playing a key role in ensuring that a
high standard of physiotherapy is provided for patients, including those with
complex multi-pathologies.
Principal Duties and
Responsibilities
Clinical
To be
professionally and legally accountable and responsible for all aspects of own
work including the management of individual caseload, working within accepted
codes of professional conduct and clinical guidelines to minimise clinical
risk.
To
demonstrate advanced theoretical knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and
pathology and utilise highly developed clinical reasoning skills to accurately
determine clinical diagnosis and prognosis in a wide range of mixed and
complicated conditions requiring outpatient physiotherapy and rehabilitation,
resulting in realistic, patient centred goals and treatment plans in line with
evidence-based practice.
To use
specialist clinical reasoning skills to screen referrals, to secondary care or
accident & emergency department, for serious pathologies such as tumour,
infection, fracture, cauda equina syndrome. Seek support of senior clinical
colleagues when faced with clinical terminology or presentations of a complex
nature or out-with clinical experience.
To refer for
diagnostics (X-Ray) and Interventional Radiology procedures such as guided
injection, within the referral rights for the Local Physiotherapy Service
pathways.
To act in
an advisory capacity to all clinical staff members in making an onward referral
to additional services.
To
identify patient concerns related to the clinical presentation and use current
evidence to respond to them. Advise patients and referrers on return to work,
sports and other activities.
To keep
comprehensive records of activity in accordance with local and national
requirements using departmental IT software systems as required.
To
discharge patients appropriately and communicate this with their GPs or
referrers.
To
prescribe appropriate equipment, adhering to departmental policy, including
competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others
through teaching, training and supervision of practice.
To work
closely with the Physiotherapy Management Team to facilitate the translation of
national policy into local delivery and to provide an expert MSK perspective in
relation to the planning and delivery of an integrated, patient focused service
across the care pathway.
To oversee
the implementation of evidence based care including clinical outcome metrics
within the Physiotherapy Service. To use
objective markers/outcome measures to evaluate and refine clinical
practice.
To participate in clinical
governance as required. To implement policies and propose changes to practice
procedures for own area and monitor implementation change through clinical
audit.
To
demonstrate high quality research and development skills and lead clinical
research and audit for the local Physiotherapy Service.
To assist
the Physiotherapy Management team in the development and implementation of a
comprehensive training and personal development plan for the MSK team in the
local service.
To participate
in maintaining the training programme for the local MSK team, encouraging
improvement and refinement of physical assessment and treatment of patients,
and furthering understanding of the conditions and their management.
To
maintain a clinical case load; whilst being flexible to service needs.
Communication
To
consistently communicate highly effectively with staff, patients and
carers/family via clear verbal, non-verbal and written means to maximise
rehabilitation potential. To use good communication skills of negotiation,
motivation, explanation and reassurance and to gain informed consent. Confidentiality is maintained at all times.
To provide
complex and sensitive information, in simple terms about diagnosis, prognosis,
concerns, treatment options and scientific information to patients, carers and
others (within and outside own profession), who may find such ideas difficult
to understand due to differences in educational or language background, and who
may not want to accept information provided. Information needs to be clearly
conveyed without causing offence or distress. This must be done whilst ensuring
that patients have full understanding.
To
facilitate patients attitudinal change towards their condition and thus engage
the patient with treatment choices and empower self-management.
To
communicate with all other healthcare professionals, and professional networks
concerning patient care and ensure good working relationships for the effective
provision of musculoskeletal management.
To report
complaints to the Physiotherapy Management Team in line with Healthshare formal
complaints procedure.
To attend
and actively participate in team's meetings as required. To initiate and /or maintain contacts with
local and national clinical interest groups appropriate to the musculoskeletal
and spinal fields.
To work in
collaboration with other Healthshare Clinical Leads to provide continuity
across the both the local and national MSK services.
Management
To
undertake and assist in audits as required under clinical governance and also
for service development.
To comply
with all Healthshare policies and procedures and ensure that all
physiotherapists do likewise. This includes participation in the individual
performance appraisal system.
To
participate in both professional and clinical supervision this might include
supervising senior, less experienced physiotherapists or volunteers.
To support
the Physiotherapy Management team as required.
Although a
non-budget holder, the post holder will monitor and assess the needs of the
service in order to provide recommendations for service improvement, including
the appropriate allocation of resources.
To work
closely with the Physiotherapy Management team to develop and refine the
strategic vision of Healthshare MSK Services.
Effort
To carry
out assessments and treatments of musculoskeletal conditions, with moderate
physical effort involved, on a daily basis and to comply with Healthshare manual
handling policies.
To deal
with patients suffering with pain states, expectations and beliefs, that may
lead to anxiety and aggressive / challenging behaviour with support from senior
clinicians where required.
Concentration
during assessment, analysing documents and assessing patients as well as concentration
for long periods daily. This may include reading electronic referrals and
clinics with a high volume of new patients.
General
To
identify and contribute to physiotherapy training needs regarding the
assessment and management of patients with musculoskeletal pain and
dysfunction.
To
identify, initiate or participate in research projects relating to
physiotherapy or the general management of MSK pain and dysfunction.
To keep
abreast of relevant clinical research pertinent to the job and implement
evidence-based practice.
The post
holder must be aware of individuals responsibilities under the Health and
Safety at Work Act and identify and report, as necessary any untoward incident
or accident or potentially hazardous environment.
Must be
aware of Healthshare infection control policy and encourage all staff to follow
the policy.
The post
holder is accountable for exercising economic and efficient use of Healthshare financial
and physical resources as well as ensuring the security of Healthshare property.
The post
holder must at all times carry out theses duties and responsibilities with due
regard to Healthshares equal opportunities policy and is expected to promote
and implement the same.
To follow
absence reporting procedures by emailing the absence line and phoning your line
manager in line with Healthshare policy and encourage others to follow.
The post
holder is required to familiarise yourself with and comply with the Healthshares
policies and procedures.
You will
be expected to adhere to the Data Security, email and internet policies that
concerns your job role within Healthshare and expected to attend security and
confidentiality training. Should you have any matters of concern, you are
welcome to, and encouraged to, raise your concerns with your Manager/Director.
This job
description is intended as a guide and may be amended in discussion with the
post holder to meet changing demands within the service and physiotherapy
department.
