First Contact Physiotherapist

Job responsibilities

The First Contact Physiotherapist will be an experienced practitioner and independent prescriber and will work autonomously as part of the clinical team.

They will provide clinical expertise, acting as first-contact physiotherapist and making decisions about the best course of action for patients' care (including in relation to undifferentiated conditions). This will involve seeing patients, without prior contact with their GP, in order to establish a rapid and accurate diagnosis and management plan.

They will progress and request investigations to facilitate diagnosis and choice of treatment regime, understanding the information limitations derived from these and the relative sensitivity and specificity of particular tests diagnostic services such as x-rays and blood test, and interpret and act on results to aid diagnosis and the management plans of patients.

They will deliver programmes of supported patient self-management, in ways that facilitate behavioural change, optimise individuals' physical activity, mobility, fulfillment of personal goals and independence, and that minimise the need for pharmacological interventions

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Take professional responsibility as a first-contact physiotherapist, with high-level decision-making and clinical-reasoning skills to assess, diagnose and triage patients.

Manage a complex caseload (including patients with long-term conditions, co-morbidities and multi-factorial needs).

Lead, manage and contribute to service delivery.

Be accountable for decisions and actions via HCPC registration, supported by a professional culture of peer networking/review and engagement in evidence-based practice.

Streamline pathway of care by providing a responsive service so that patients receive timely access to care.

Ensure care is proactive, preventive in focus and population based, with an emphasis on early intervention.

Provide care which is tailored to the individual needs. This would include, appraising the impact of individuals' clinical status on their general health, well-being, employment status; including in relation to function, physical activity, mobility and independence.

Support patients to set their own goals and be confident in their approach to self-management.

Communicate effectively and appropriately with patients and carers, sharing complex and sensitive information regarding diagnosis, pathology and prognosis.

Use a range of clinical skills which may include:

Non-medical independent prescribing

Joint / soft tissue injections

Joint aspirations

Provide learning opportunities for the whole multi professional team within primary care.

Work with MDT to develop more effective and streamlined clinical pathways and services.

Exercise professional judgement, making, justifying and taking responsibility for decisions in unpredictable situations, including in the context of incomplete/contradictory information.

Manage interactions in complex situations, including with individuals with particular psycho-social and mental health needs and with colleagues across the primary care team, sectors and settings.

Record all contacts in SystmOne in an accurate and timely manner, using appropriate clinical coding.

Maintain their competence and knowledge through continued personal development and adhere to all national policies regarding treatment.

Ensure that all Infection control guidelines are followed.

Carry out regular clinical audit.

This could be a developing role if the post holder does not have all of the skills required. In these circumstances support and training will be provided.

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrates general physiotherapy skills and knowledge in core areas.
• Is able to plan, manage, monitor, advise and review general physiotherapy care programmes for patients in core areas, including disease states / long term conditions identified by local Needs Assessment.
• Demonstrates accountability for delivering professional expertise and direct service provision.
• Exercise a critical understanding of personal scope of practice and to identify when a patient needs referring on and where there are opportunities for developing the scope and competence of the wider MDT to meet patient care needs.
• Integrates a broad range of interventions into practice, including injection therapy and independent prescribing, whilst also promoting non-pharmacological solutions to patient care.
• Through patient assessment and working in partnership with patients and their carers, make decisions about the best pathways of care, informed by the urgency and severity of patient need, patient acuity and dependency, and the most appropriate deployment of resources.
• Manage risk in unpredictable, uncertain situations to uphold patient safety, including by referring on to other primary care team members and to specialist services.
• Able to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies / procedures and codes of conduct.
• Involves patients in decision making and supporting adherence as per NICE guidance.

Qualifications

Essential

• Hold an undergraduate degree in Physiotherapy.
• Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapisy(CSP).
• Hold or working towards a postgraduate physiotherapy qualification.
• Able to demonstrate in practice portfolio experience in core physiotherapy and MSK physiotherapy.
• Hold or working towards a prescribing qualification.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Operate as a full member of the primary care team, including contributing to leadership, service evaluation/improvement and research activity.
• Manage and co-ordinate the care that individual patients receive, including through liaising with other members of the MDT and with patients carers.
• Lead primary care activity, with a strong emphasis on prevention and early intervention, including through the delivery of public health advice.
• Contribute to the use of healthcare technologies to optimise the integration of service delivery and patients access and continuity of care.
• Contribute to the development of primary care teams, including through contributing to others learning.
• Demonstrate understanding of the physiotherapy role in governance and is able to implement this appropriately within the workplace.
• Demonstrates understanding of, and contributes to, the workplace vision.
• Demonstrates ability to improve quality within limitations of service.
• Demonstrates ability to motivate self to achieve goals.
• Demonstrates understanding of the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service.
• Demonstrates understanding of the process for effective resource utilisation.
• Demonstrates understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice.
• Follows professional and organisational policies/procedures relating to performance management.
• Demonstrates ability to conduct teaching and assessment effectively according to a learning plan with supervision from a more experienced colleague.
• Demonstrates self-development through continuous professional development activity.
• Demonstrates understanding of the mentorship process.
• Demonstrates ability to critically evaluate and review literature.
• Demonstrates ability to generate evidence suitable for presentation at local level.
• Demonstrates ability to apply the research evidence base into working practice.
• Demonstrates ability to work as a member of the research team.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).