A Vacancy at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust.
Are you an experienced physiotherapist with a passion for Rheumatology and musculoskeletal care? We are looking for a dynamic, proactive and skilled clinician to join our MSK therapy service as Clinical Lead in Rheumatology.
We are seeking someone who is:
* Well‑organised and confident in communication and problem solving.
* Proven experience in Rheumatology conditions and physiotherapy.
* Enthusiastic about improving service and supporting the growth of others.
The successful candidate will be expected to work flexibly across all of our sites.
To be eligible to apply you must have undergraduate and/or postgraduate experience in the NHS as a Physiotherapist and a specialist interest in Rheumatology and connective tissue disorders.
As Clinical Lead for the Out‑Patient Physiotherapy Service, you will:
Main Tasks
* Perform highly specialist assessment and treatment of all MSK patients, especially those with Rheumatology and connective tissue disorders, to facilitate smooth, efficient and effective patient pathways.
* Determine a clinical diagnosis, develop, deliver, implement, evaluate and modify individualised treatment programmes and provide highly specialist advice, ensuring appropriate pathways of care and communication via liaison and referral to other agencies as required.
* Manage own highly specialist caseload in this area.
* Establish relationships with other stakeholders and services involved in the care of rheumatology and connective tissue disorder patients.
* Support and advise other services (e.g. Pain Clinic) on the delivery of the service.
* Educate and train physiotherapists and qualified and non‑qualified healthcare / social services / education staff, including medical staff.
* Work autonomously within Trust policies and standards of professional practice, maintaining accurate and comprehensive up‑to‑date records.
* Assist the Team Leader in the daily operational management of the Out‑Patient Physiotherapy Team.
Clinical Duties
* Lead, coordinate and develop effective clinical interventions for all MSK patients and those within the speciality of Rheumatology and connective tissue disorders, advancing clinical practice across the service in line with current evidence.
* Manage autonomously a specialist clinical workload, assessing and treating patients and maintaining clinical records.
* Apply highly specialist assessment and treatment skills in the following areas:
o Physical rehabilitation through manual therapy.
o Physical rehabilitation through exercise and function.
o Physical rehabilitation through pain relief (including acupuncture, injection therapy, electrotherapy etc.).
o Complex bio‑psychosocial assessment of patients and carers.
o Assessment for assistive equipment, splinting and adaptations.
o Working with other agencies/patients to ensure an MDT approach.
o Cognitive and perceptual understanding of condition/person.
o Falls assessment.
* Apply evidence‑based knowledge within the highly specialist clinical area, acquired through in‑depth experience and academic study to a highly specialist postgraduate level.
* Act as a resource to provide advice to relevant staff about the assessment, treatment, management and care of patients/clients with Rheumatology, connective tissue disorders or complex psychosocial needs.
* Work collaboratively with other providers involved in patient care, including medical and surgical consultants, health and social care community and acute colleagues.
* Take a lead to ensure effective care pathways and transfer of care/discharges.
* Proactively and appropriately facilitate seamless transfer of care and continuing therapeutic management of physiotherapy outpatient patients between care settings.
* Work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary manner, debating boundaries when appropriate.
* Develop highly specialist programmes of assessment, treatment and intervention for physiotherapy patients, especially those with Rheumatology pathologies, connective tissue disorders and non‑Rheumatology patients.
* Prioritise own clinical workload efficiently and delegate according to training and competency levels of other team members to ensure effective service delivery.
* Participate in the supervision process with staff on a daily basis and for students as required.
* Ensure a high standard of patient care, implementing and reviewing relevant clinical standards.
* Provide highly specialist assessment and advice to the Calderdale and Huddersfield Health Economy.
* Use local, regional and national networks appropriately to share information and good practice.
Professional Duties
* Co‑develop and implement clinical and service‑specific protocols, procedures and guidelines; provide feedback on policies when required.
* Participate in governance initiatives, measuring and evaluating clinical practice (CPD, audit, service activity data and research).
* Ensure specialised treatments are evidence‑based, keeping up to date with literature and liaising with practitioners to develop and maintain best practice.
* Be responsible for the issue and safe use of equipment used in your area of work and adhere to service policies.
* Generate, collect, analyse and disseminate data for the service, both manually and computerised.
* Lead, develop and actively undertake clinical audit, including complex audits.
* Support physiotherapy and assistant team members to meet their objectives and development needs.
* Assist the Team Leader/Advanced Practitioner to manage team performance.
* Identify, develop and evaluate a training programme for out‑patient physiotherapy addressing the needs of the service and wider multi‑professional team.
* Organise, participate in and lead in‑service training programmes, ensuring appropriate training is delivered.
* Undertake appropriate development opportunities identified in personal development reviews and plans, incorporating acquired knowledge into practice.
* Participate in the Trust’s supervision and peer review process and maintain an up‑to‑date CPD portfolio, demonstrating responsibility for maintaining competency.
* Participate in the Trust appraisal process, complying with a personal development plan.
* Give highly specialist advice, teaching and training to patients, carers, volunteers and other health, educational and social care professionals to ensure good patient care.
* Be responsible for the supervision and education of student physiotherapists to graduate level as a clinical educator.
* Supervise students from other professional groups (e.g. nurses, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists) as required.
* Collaborate with higher education institutions and influence undergraduate and postgraduate training within Out‑Patient Physiotherapy.
Managerial Duties
* Support and advise on the delivery of the Out‑Patient Physiotherapy service across the local Health Economy.
* Provide the Team Leader/Advanced Practitioner with advice and information for service planning and development, identifying potential areas for improvement.
* Ensure adequate staff cover by agreeing annual leave, study leave and reporting sickness absence.
* Assist the Out‑Patient Therapies Service Manager/Team Leader in achieving service objectives.
* Participate actively in the professional development programme of the Physiotherapy service.
* Assist in monitoring professional, clinical and departmental standards and implement change as appropriate.
* Comply with national, professional, Trust and service policies and procedures, participating in their review and update.
* Participate in the staff recruitment process and issues of staff retention.
* Maintain confidentiality of patient‑identifiable information in line with Trust policies and the Data Protection Act.
* Initiate discussion with the Team Leader about circumstances preventing you or staff from fulfilling job requirements.
* Work in accordance with all Trust policies and procedures.
* Attend induction and regular risk‑management training.
* Identify risks through assessment, providing incident reports and supporting documentation for unexpected events or incidents, and assisting the Team Leader with complaints and incident management.
Financial Duties
* Support the Head of Therapies/Outpatient Therapies Service Manager/Team Leader in identifying ways to best utilise staffing and financial resources within the wider team.
Interviews will be held in person on 5th May 2026.
This advert closes on Sunday 19 Apr 2026.
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