Speciality physiotherapist: vascular, emergency surgery & gastro Full Time

Job overview

We are seeking an experienced band 5 or band 6 physiotherapist who is passionate about older people and rehabilitation to fulfil this exciting role, as specialty physiotherapist within the Vascular and Emergency surgery team (VES). This is a new role working alongside the B7 Team lead to develop vascular services and be part of the vascular network.. As an effective member of the MDT, the post holder will complete comprehensive specialist assessments and interventions throughout the patient’s journey from ward admission to discharge. This will require utilisation of therapy-specific skills to maximise patient recovery and rehabilitation during their acute hospital stay whilst ensuring safety at the point of leaving our inpatient setting.

The primary aim of the service is to ensure patients can live well and as independently as possible in their own homes following acute hospitalisation. This will be achieved through:

–    Proactive screening and early assessment of patient’s needs.

–   Implement therapy-specific programmes engaging with MDT initiatives.

–  Support the prevention and effective management of delirium and other cognitive spectrum disorders through physical and cognitively stimulating activities.

–          Identify ongoing rehabilitation goals,  provision of aids to facilitate independence and safe onward care at the point of discharge.

– Engaging  in  departmental research and development.

Main duties of the job

• To provide high quality, safe and effective physiotherapy services to older adults presenting with acute and chronic complex vascular and surgical conditions as part of a cohesive multi-professional team.
• 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.
•  To supervise and teach recently qualified physiotherapists, support workers physiotherapy students
• To actively participate in quality improvement, clinical audit and research projects

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.

In 2023 NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit to the ten core principles

Oxford University Hospitals promotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.

If you want to make a difference with us, come and join our team. Together, we will uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities

Communication

1. To consistently deploy effective communication and engagement skills enabling effective working relationships with all members of the multi-professional team.
2. To effectively communicate with patients and their carers/family members, including the sensitive management of complex or contentious issues.
3. To overcome barriers to effective communication, such as those caused by pathological impairment or language differences, by deploying effective mitigating strategies.
4. To engage and build relationships with external agencies and providers to enhance patient care continuity and outcomes.
5. To be able to motivate and positively influence others through effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
6. Be able to write complex reports accurately describing patients’ clinical status and ensuring that the information provided aids effective continuing care and clinical management.

Clinical

1. To enact the professional and legal responsibilities for all aspects of the post-holders own clinical practice.
2. To carry out comprehensive assessments following hospital admission, including those with complex presentations, and form treatment and rehabilitation plans in partnership with the patient and their carers/family.
3. To interpret and analyse multiple sources of clinical information to form accurate physiotherapy diagnoses in vascular & surgical conditions; drawing on guidance from senior therapists when required.
4. To formulate and deliver comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation and discharge plans, based on clinical skills, evidence-based practice, and patient preferences.
5. To evaluate patient progress against agreed treatment goals and be able to modify plans accordingly.
6. To determine a patient’s mental capacity to understand and to gain informed consent for treatment. To work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent and are deprived of their liberty.
7. To co-ordinate intervention where there is a need to collaborate across multiple disciplines.
8. To maintain accurate written records using an electronic patient record system and maintain fidelity to professional standards.
9. To determine and mitigate for risk of patient and staff harm using the agreed risk assessment frameworks and the Trust’s manual handling policy.
10. To support patients suffering from debilitating acute or life changing conditions which may lead to disengagement, anxiety or aggressive behaviour.
11. To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including manual therapy techniques and therapeutic handling
12. To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients.
13. To represent physiotherapy and/or individual patients at multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure delivery of co-ordinated care.

Leadership and management

1. To be responsible for the competent use and maintenance of rehabilitation equipment and support others in the effective and safe use of this equipment.
2. To assist in the supervision, teaching and appraisal of junior staff and assistants.
3. To undertake delegated tasks and roles from the team lead and be able to deputise for them on occasions.
4. To effectively plan and organise own time, patient caseload, meetings, training and be able to adjust plans as required according to staffing levels and unpredictable factors.
5. To assist in the planning of junior staff, students and assistant timetables and deputise for senior staff in organisational duties.

Education and training

1. To organise and contribute to the team’s training and post-registration education programme.
2. To contribute to the education of multidisciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.
3. To be responsible for individual undergraduate student physiotherapists’ supervision and practice-based learning.
4. To adopt a proactive approach in learning from others within, and outside of the physiotherapy profession.
5. To be responsible for continuing professional development and maintain a portfolio record to evidence this.
6. To maintain contemporary knowledge to apply and maintain best practice in a vascular & surgical setting.

Research and development

1. To actively participate in the department’s quality improvement and clinical audit programme through the completion of authorised projects
2. To implement and maintain evidenced-based physiotherapy practice through continuing professional development
3. To ensure good working knowledge and application of national and local clinical standards.

Effort

1. To be able to undertake episodes of moderate physical effort for several short periods during a shift.
2. To be able to effectively maintain concentration at work despite frequent interruptions and, at times, an unpredictable working pattern.
3. To tolerate and manage frequent exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances and maintain a high level of professionalism.

INFECTION CONTROL

Infection control is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, both clinical and non-clinical, are required to adhere to the Trust’s Infection Prevention and Control Policies and make every effort to maintain high standards of Infection Control at all times, thereby reducing the burden of Healthcare Associated Infections including MRSA.

All staff employed by the OUH Trust have the following key responsibilities.

• Staff must wash their hands or use alcohol gel on entry and exit from all clinical areas and/ or between each patient contact.
• Staff members have a duty to attend mandatory infection control training provided for them by the Trust.

Staff members who develop an infection (other than common colds and illness) that may be transmittable to patients have a duty to contact Occupational Health

RISK MANAGEMENT

The management of risk is the responsibility of everyone and will be achieved within a progressive, honest and open environment.

Staff will be provided with the necessary education, training and support to enable them to meet this responsibility.

Staff should be familiar with the following:

• Major Incident Policy
• Fire Policy

and should make themselves familiar with the ‘local response’ plan and their role with that response.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HEALTH & SAFETY

The post holder is responsible for ensuring that all duties and responsibilities of this post are carried out in compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Statutory Regulations and Trust Policies and Procedures.  This will be supported by the provision of training and specialist advice where required.

FURTHER INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

This post is subject to obtaining satisfactory clearance in respect of Disclosure of Criminal Convictions. A Disclosure Application Form will be sent to all new appointees with their appointment letter and the completed form must be submitted for verification on the first day of employment.

All physiotherapists must be registered with the Health Professions Council prior to commencing work, and produce the registration document on their first day of employment. Staff must then ensure their registration is maintained according to Trust Policy.

This post is one of continual development. The job description is intended as a guide to the duties and responsibilities of the post. Responsibilities will be reviewed periodically in line with service priorities, and may change, or new duties be introduced after consultation with the post holder.

Person specification

Essential

Essential criteria

• Degree in Physiotherapy , registered with the Health & Care Professions Council , evidence of continuing professional development – post graduate level
• Minimum of 18 months post registration experience in a healthcare setting. Broad range of experience at band 5 level e.g. respiratory, orthopaedics, neurology, older adults, experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team, with students and delegation to support workers
• Understands the legal responsibilities of professional practice, comprehending & working within the Trust’s policies of data protection, equal opportunities and Health and Safety to meet the differing needs of patients and staff.
• Able to present information, written and verbal, in a clear and logical manner, communicate complex and sensitive information
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of clinical governance and integrates its principles into physiotherapy practice, with effective use of outcome measures to guide and evaluate care in vascular and older adult populations.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, delegating tasks efficiently while confidently leading and engaging in staff training.
• Proficient in Microsoft Teams, Office and presentations, with the ability to maintain clear, accurate, and professional documentation in line with established standards.
• Physically capable of performing physiotherapy duties throughout the day, with the resilience to manage concurrent tasks and work effectively in high-pressure environments.

Desirable criteria

• Membership of Clinical Interest Group
• Experienced in NHS settings with participation in on-call and weekend rotas.
• Experienced in audit, research, and contributing to quality improvement and service development initiatives.
• Integrated Physiotherapy/ Occupational Therapy teamworking

COVID-19: The COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course 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.