Speciality Occupational Therapist - Acute General Medicine
NHS AfC: Band 7
Main area Specialty Occupational Therapist - Acute General Medicine Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours
* Full time
* Part time
35 hours per week Job ref 321-MRC-7851905-B7-EXT
Site John Radcliffe Hospital Town Headington, Oxford Salary £47,810 - £54,710 Per Annum / Pro Rata Salary period Yearly Closing 24/03/2026 23:59
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research.
The Trust comprises of four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call thisDelivering Compassionate Excellenceand its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
Many of our recruitment programmes useValue Based Interviewingto identify those who have the skills we seek, who share our values and who are able to deliver compassionate excellence from the outset. We know that this makes a significant difference to your job satisfaction and above all the outcomes and experience of our patients and their families. For more information about our Values and Value Based Interviewing please visit www.ouh.nhs.uk/about/vision-and-values
Job overview
We are looking for a dynamic and forward-thinking Band 7 Physiotherapist with a specialist interest in older people to join our supportive and friendly integrated Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy team.
You will need to have an excellent knowledge and application of the evidence base relating to common pathologies such as ageing, falls and frailty and ability to apply your knowledge from a number of disciplines including neurology, trauma, musculoskeletal and respiratory areas. You will undertake a comprehensive assessment of need and deliver interventions to optimise the recovery of older people during their acute hospital stay and prepare them to return to their home and facilitate others to complete this. You will need to have high levels of professionalism and strong communication skills to work effectively, both as a Team Lead as well as team member working with the MDT and teams external to the trust.
As a valued member of the team, you will be proactive at service development and audit with support from the Oxford Allied Health Professions Research and Innovation Unit (AHPRU). We are committed to providing a learning environment where innovation and progressive practice is valued and developed and have well-developed links with the local Universities for developmental opportunities.
Part-time and job share considered. If you are interested in this role, please take the time to contact me or arrange a visit.
Main duties of the job
· To work collaboratively with patients and their carers to effectively assess, goal plan and treat patients following admission to hospital and strive to maximise their independence and quality of life.
· Use expert knowledge and skills to contribute to strategic planning and development of the Therapy Service in the management of the older person.
· To supervise and teach recently registered professionals, support workers, therapy studentsand members of the MDT.
· Supervise, initiate and participate in evidence‑based projects and is responsible for implementing changes within the Acute General Medicine and Gerontology teams, and the setting and monitoring standards of practice.
· To take an active part in the team’s extended hours and seven‑day working roster to maximise the access and delivery of older adult rehabilitation.
· Deputise for service lead, implement workforce strategy and responsible for recruitment.
Working for our organisation
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.
Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.
We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.
These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel .
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical
1. To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of own professional activities.
2. To undertake assessment of patients as an autonomous practitioner, including those with highly complex presentations, using expert clinical reasoning skills, knowledge of evidence-based practice and advanced expertise to determine appropriate care plans utilising specialist treatment skills and options.
3. To interpret and analyse clinical and non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnoses in a wide range of highly complex conditions.
4. To formulate accurate prognoses and recommend best course of intervention, developing and implementing comprehensive treatment plans.
5. To continually evaluate and reassess patients in order to progress and modify treatments effectively.
6. To be responsible for own and team’s patient care plans and to be consulted frequently for expert advice and guidance by junior and senior team members and other health care professionals.
7. To assess a patient's capacity to understand and to gain valid, informed consent for treatment. To work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent or refuse treatment.
8. To co-ordinate intervention, which may include other disciplines, advise and educate patient/ carers/ relatives/ other health professionals.
9. To demonstrate expert ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and other staff, where there may be barriers to communication e.g. non-English speaking patients; those with communication disorders, impaired speech, hearing, and ensure all members of the team do likewise.
10. To liaise with and advise other therapists, relevant medical staff, nursing staff, social workers and other health care professionals who may be in direct contact with the post holder with regard to patient care.
11. To communicate effectively with all other disciplines involved in the patient's care both in the Hospital and in the community thus ensuring a multidisciplinary approach and integrated service.
12. To use specialist knowledge to refer to other health disciplines as appropriate.
13. To attend meetings and seminars / case conferences as appropriate, and liaise with, and advise other disciplines, as appropriate, to achieve comprehensive, effective and confidential patient care.
14. To be able to motivate and persuade others (including staff and patients) through advanced communication skills, with the benefit of verbal and non-verbal skills, using written and electronic information where needed.
15. To sensitively deal with distressing or emotional circumstances regarding patient care e.g. imparting news of poor prognoses such as chronic pain management or lifelong disability.
16. To support more junior staff when indicated in the management of challenging patients.
17. To deal effectively with patients suffering from conditions which may lead to anxiety and aggressive behaviour.
18. To teach, support and supervise staff within the team – this will include developing and maintaining their skills, and competency assessments to the appropriate level.
19. To manage clinical risk within own caseload and that of designated team at all times.
20. To demonstrate physical ability to carry out therapy assessment and interventions including manual therapy techniques and therapeutic handling.
21. To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory sensory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients.
22. To be responsible for maintenance of accurate written records in accordance with RCOT/CSP/HCPC standards. To include comprehensive progress and discharge reports.
Management
1. To be responsible for policy and service development and implementation across the General Medicine and Gerontology wards to ensure that quality standards and effectiveness of patient care are continually monitored and improved.
2. To liaise with other Allied Health Professionals ensuring multi professional care of patients.
3. To ensure as team leader that staff implement policy and service developmental changes.
4. To support the organisation of an appropriate weekend rotas to provide optimum cover.
5. To ensure that the service responds to national initiatives and policy within the framework of clinical governance including clinical effectiveness, evidence-based healthcare, managing clinical risk and, research and development issues.
6. To contribute to the management of the department including the development and implementation of departmental policies, which will impact on the therapy service.
7. To be responsible for competent use, repair and maintenance reporting of equipment, and as team leader, to ensure that designated staff attain competency prior to use.
8. To be responsible for the daily management, supervision and co-ordination of the staffing including staff appraisal.
9. To attend mandatory fire, manual handling and resuscitation training on an annual basis and be familiar with local procedures within speciality areas of work and ensure that staff within the team are aware of their responsibilities.
10. To work in an environment where as team leader the work patterns may be disrupted by frequent demands from patients, clinical staff, and students and any emergency situations.
11. To provide statistics and analysis reports utilising databases in an accurate and timely manner.
12. To skilfully and flexibly plan and manage own time and organise the team, to include patient care, training, and supervision.
13. To achieve the effective daily management of a caseload of patients including responding to urgent referrals, prioritising clinical work and balancing other patient related and professional activities in accordance with departmental standards.
14. To resolve informal complaints and to be well versed with the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. To ensure that the Clinical Lead Therapist is informed of complaints.
15. To support the Clinical Lead Therapist, when indicated, in the management of staff disciplinary matters.
16. To contribute to the recruitment of staff, including short-listing of applicants and being a member of the interview panel.
Education
1. To be responsible for the provision of specialised teaching to peers and junior staff and students; this may be to large groups.
2. To provide specialist training to other professional groups as required.
3. To provide expert teaching to undergraduate and post graduate students external to the Trust as required and agreed with the Clinical Lead Therapist.
4. To be responsible for own personal professional development and keep abreast of new clinical practices. To attend and contribute to, specialist continuing education programmes. To attend external courses / education as appropriate.
5. To maintain a CPD portfolio reflecting personal professional development and ensure all members of the team have a comprehensive performance plan.
6. To initiate and maintain contacts with local and national clinical interest groups, and to demonstrate the ability to share and disseminate knowledge with colleagues working in other care settings.
7. To clearly convey complex knowledge of techniques, biomechanics, anatomy and physiology to patients and staff.
8. To supervise and lead on the professional development of therapy staff on rotation through the clinical area.
9. To be responsible for the training of therapy staff and students on placement within the clinical area.
10. To supervise undergraduate students as required, and to liaise, as team leader, with academic institutions regarding student performance and placement within the team. See Further Information and Guidelines.
11. To support and advise less experienced clinical educators as required.
Research and Audit:
1. To develop an ongoing audit and appropriate work-related research/evaluation projects with Medicine and Gerontology.
2. To supervise evidence-based projects for rotational staff, and the professional presentation of the project to the therapy department.
3. To keep abreast of evidenced based practice in appropriate related clinical areas, by use of relevant reading, attendance at in-service training, external courses and database searches.
4. To develop local service standards based on good working knowledge of National Standards where they exist and on best evidence. To ensure these standards are adhered to and monitored by all members of the team.
5. To participate in appropriate work-related research projects and in clinical trials as required.
General:
1. To carry out therapy assessments and treatments, with moderate physical effort involved, on a daily basis
2. To comply with the Trusts Manual Handling Policy and local therapeutic handling guidelines
3. To work in an environment where the work patterns may be disrupted by frequent demands from patients, clinical staff, students and administrative support staff.
4. To support qualified staff when indicated in the management of challenging patients.
5. To comply with all Trust policies and procedures and Health and Safety at Work Act, including adherence to Universal Precautions and Infection Control measures, and ensure that staff within the team are aware of their responsibilities.
6. To participate in the Trust Appraisal Scheme as an appraiser and an appraisee.
7. To attend and be an active participant in departmental staff and peer group meetings.
Person specification
Qualifications
* Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy
* Health Care Professions Council Registration
* Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
* Evidence of the ability to take a proactive approach to learning and development of own practice at a level expected for a specialist post
Experience
* Previous experience of working in General Medicine and Gerontology wards
* Diverse clinical experience including core areas of practice, such as gerontology, neuroscience, orthopaedics and rehabilitation.
* Experience of working as part of an integrated therapy team and multidisciplinary team.
* Experience of managing a large caseload of complex patients with minimal senior support
* Experience deputising for Team Lead post and co-ordinating a team
* Student supervision / clinical education
* Experience of quality assurance and audit
* Understanding and application of the current evidence-base supporting the care and reablement of older adults living with frailty
COVID-19: The COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst COVID-19 vaccination is not a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated. If you are unvaccinated there is helpful advice and information at Oxfordshire County Council Website where you can also find out more about how to access vaccination.
Vacancy Closures: Please note, this vacancy may close early if a high volume of applications are received.
Probation Period: This post is subject to a 6 month probationary period. If you currently hold a contract of employment with the Oxford University Hospitals, this will not apply. This statement does not apply to Medical staff or Executive Appointments.
Referencing: When providing employment reference details please provide correct work related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your first referee will need to be your line manager, supervisor or clinical lead from your current or most recent post or place of study. Please note that if you have previously worked for the Trust we will require a reference from your last Manager, this information is essential if your offer of employment is to be confirmed.
Next Steps: Please make sure that you read the job description and person specification, and that your supporting statement reflects this as your application will be judged against these criteria. Candidates selected for interview will be contacted after the short-listing process, usually within 2 weeks. (Please note that shortlisting times vary when applying for a Medical position within the Trust). The majority of correspondence will be via the e-recruitment system; therefore you should check your emails regularly including junk mail folders in web-based email products.
No unsolicited recruitment agency telephone calls or emails.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Please note that this job advertisement will close automatically once the application limit is reached, regardless of whether this occurs before the advertised closing date.
Vacancies with our PFI partners
Domestic / catering / portering services at theJohn Radcliffe Hospitalare provided byMitie.
Domestic / catering / portering / maintenance engineerservices at theChurchill HospitalandNuffield Orthopaedic Centreare provided byG4S.
Maintenance engineer services at the John Radcliffe Hospital are provided by Equans.
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