Overview
Clinical Lead Physiotherapist in Acute Medicine (Band 7) 12 months fixed term Maternity Cover
Northampton General Hospital (University Hospitals of Northamptonshire) seeks a Clinical Lead Physiotherapist with a focus on Acute Medicine to join the Therapy service on a 12-month fixed-term basis to cover maternity leave. A secondment would be considered.
You will work alongside the Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist to provide senior clinical and professional leadership to the therapy team, manage day-to-day operations, and act as a point of contact for colleagues across the Therapies department. Weekend working and respiratory on-call duties (evenings until 10pm and weekends) are required as part of the 7-day service.
For more information about the position, please contact Jakki Gilson or Tarryn Goode (Deputy Head of Therapies).
Main duties and responsibilities
* Be the Clinical Lead Physiotherapist for the Acute Medicine Therapy Team.
* Manage a clinical caseload in area including complex cases.
* Provide cover to other clinical areas as needed by patient demand.
* Participate in 7-day working patterns, including Bank Holidays.
* Participate in a respiratory on-call service covering evenings (until 10pm) and weekends.
* Provide clinical expertise and leadership to a large team of Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and Therapy Support staff within the clinical area.
* Lead on annual appraisal of allocated staff and support personal development and succession planning.
* Identify and manage clinical performance issues within therapy staff.
* Develop guidelines, protocols and practices that enhance patient experience in line with national and Trust policies.
* Lead on implementation of action plans from national and local strategies, benchmarking standards and clinical audits.
* Represent therapy services at specialty and trust-wide forums and provide feedback to therapy teams.
* Deputise for other therapy leads as required.
Additional duties may include:
* Lead the therapy team on a day-to-day basis, coordinate cover for absence, and address operational issues.
* Work with the Head and Deputy Head of Therapies on budget, facilities and resources to ensure safe, high-quality, cost-effective service.
* Lead recruitment of therapy staff with support from the Deputy Head of Therapies.
* Participate in policy and service development within the directorate, leading delegated projects.
* Ensure staff are aware of Trust policies and that compliance is maintained.
* Mentor and assess pre-registration and work-experience students allocated to the team.
* Provide regular reports to the Deputy Head of Therapies on team management and performance, escalating risks as needed.
* Facilitate information sharing and forums for staff discussion, planning and development.
Provision of clinical services
* Apply high-level understanding of illness, injury and disability and the interaction with health, function, psychology and social factors as appropriate to Physiotherapy.
* Select, implement and evaluate intervention options balancing risk, safety, patient choice and eligibility; provide expert guidance to junior colleagues.
* Communicate effectively with patients, carers, clinical teams and other agencies as a representative of Therapy services.
* Maintain accurate records of clinical interventions in line with legal and organisational requirements.
* Develop specialist and complex knowledge to ensure fitness to practice as a Physiotherapist.
Improving patient and visitor experiences
* Be a point of contact for patients and relatives; develop and share patient information; gather and use patient feedback to improve services.
* Respect diversity and provide a service sensitive to individual needs.
* Provide guidance on ethical issues and ensure alignment with Trust policies.
Using audit, evaluation and research
* Lead on evidence-based practice and audit processes.
* Work with peers to implement action plans from strategies and clinical audits.
* Participate in audit and research projects; foster innovation and practice development.
Management and Teamwork
* Promote safe and effective communication within therapy and multi-professional teams.
* Support supervision and development of therapy staff; keep leads informed of risk and staffing issues.
* Contribute to skill mix reviews; deputise for Heads of Therapies when required.
* Promote the role of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy in the trust; ensure policy compliance and staff development.
* Oversee annual staff reviews and development plans; monitor resource use and support performance targets.
* Lead recruitment and handle complaints/adverse incidents with appropriate follow-up.
* Ensure mandatory training completion and assess staff competencies.
* Coordinate rotas, service cover and return-to-work processes.
* Lead on recruitment and selection of therapy staff as appropriate.
Trust wide Responsibilities
* Act as a resource for multi-disciplinary teams through teaching and training.
* Model excellent customer service and lead professional meetings when required.
Qualifications & Experience
Education, Training & Qualifications
Essential: BSc Honours (or equivalent) in Physiotherapy; HCPC Registration.
Desirable: Clinical educator training; involvement in research and clinical audit.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential: Experience of assessment, goal setting, planning, implementation and review of clinical therapy interventions; NHS experience; multi-disciplinary team involvement; managing a clinical caseload; experience treating patients with complex respiratory conditions.
Desirable: Experience leading a team; participate in the on-call Physiotherapy rota.
Skills and Abilities
Essential: Communication with patients, carers and teams; self-management; ability to lead and motivate a team.
Key Competencies/Personal Qualities
Essential: Flexible, motivated, able to manage workload and caseload; resilience dealing with complex cases.
Disclosures and Sponsorship
Disclosure and Barring Service checks apply. Applications from job seekers requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship will be considered. UK registration required.
Details
Employer: Northampton General Hospital; Location: Northampton; Postcode: NN1 5BD; Band 7; Salary £47,810 to £54,710; Contract: Fixed term; Duration: 12 months; Working pattern: Part-time; Reference: 265-7394721.
Date posted: 10 September 2025
#J-18808-Ljbffr