Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

Band 7 Highly Specialist Respiratory Physiotherapist

The closing date is 31 July 2025

Job summary

Highly Specialist Physiotherapist - Respiratory (Medical) Physiotherapy Team Lead

University Hospital Lewisham

We are seeking a dynamic and talented senior Respiratory Physiotherapist to work and lead the medical respiratory physiotherapy service at University Hospital Lewisham. The post holder will be supervised by the Clinical Specialist Critical Care (cross-site) Physiotherapist, and Inpatient Lead Physiotherapist, and work alongside the physiotherapy lead for critical care and surgery. They will work as part of a large respiratory physiotherapy team as well as working as part of the wider trust respiratory physiotherapy service.

This exciting opportunity includes leading the Lewisham adult Cystic Fibrosis physiotherapy service, working closely with the CF MDT in the ouptatient and inpatient settings. Additionally, this post holder will lead the acute NIV service including supporting our Assisted Ventilation Unit.

This exciting opportunity will allow the successful candidate to gain experience and develop advanced clinical and leadership skills. In this role, you would have the opportunity to experience the diversity of working across the London Borough of Lewisham.

The caseload will comprise of a mixture of medical and respiratory inpatients, including those with an altered airway, in addition to the Cystic Fibrosis and NIV caseloads. Therapies are considered an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team at Lewisham and Greenwich Trust and enjoy close MDT working.

Main duties of the job

We support staff to attend courses and further education to allow progression in your clinical specialty, as well as senior leadership skills. This is supported both with access to paid study leave and course funding. All senior therapists are encouraged to take an active role in trust wide quality improvement, audit and service development.

The physiotherapy department within Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is highly regarded as an inclusive and supportive team. If you are a motivated Physiotherapist looking to progress as a Highly Specialist Medical Respiratory Physiotherapist do not miss this opportunity to work within a dynamic, friendly and innovative department with all the benefits of being a large London Trust.

PREVIOUS APPLICANTS NEED NOT APPLY

About us

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is a community focused provider of local and acute care, providing high quality services to over one million people living across the London boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley. With a turnover of around £700 million, we provide services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, University Hospital Lewisham and a range of community settings in Lewisham. We also provide some services at Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup.

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
Improving the experience of staff with disability
Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
Making equalities mainstream

Date posted

17 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum plus HCAS pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

197-UT6464-B

Job locations

University Hospital Lewisham

Lewisham High Street

London

SE13 6LH

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

1 To lead an acute respiratory physiotherapy service of assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of patients at University Hospital Lewisham at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The caseload will comprise of a mixture of mainly in-patient and some outpatient (cystic fibrosis) clients. The postholder will be supported in the team management and clinically by the 8a clinical specialist physiotherapist, and the 8a inpatient lead and respiratory specialist physiotherapist.

2 To support and lead on the physiotherapy management of medical patients across all inpatient areas.

3 To lead the physiotherapy management for the assisted ventilation unit (NIV), working closely with the MDT.

4 To lead on the management of tracheostomy and laryngectomy patients across all medical inpatient areas

5 To work as part of Lewisham adult cystic fibrosis service, leading the adult physiotherapy CF service. To work closely alongside the CF MDT including attendance at weekly clinics, MDM and annual review appointments

6 The post is based on the University Hospital Lewisham site but may at times be asked to work on other sites in order to maintain service levels.

7 7-day working for Therapies is under development within the Trust and the postholder will be required to participate in weekend and on-call working.

Job Summary

1 To undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.

2 To perform highly specialist physiotherapeutic assessment of patients with diverse presentations and complex physical and psychological conditions; to provide a provisional diagnosis and develop and deliver an individualised treatment programme.

3 To take responsibility for own caseload, being responsible for a defined area of the service, providing support to more junior members of your team. Formal supervision is comprised of regular in-service training, appraisal, clinical reasoning sessions, documentation and caseload reviews and observation of clinical assessment / treatment or related discussion.

4 To lead the team and participate in evidence-based audit/research activity to further the teams clinical practice within each rotation. To make recommendations to the lead in-patient therapist for any changes to practice by the team.

5 To supervise specialised respiratory rotational and rotational physiotherapists, physiotherapy assistants, physiotherapy practitioner and physiotherapy students in the clinical setting.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1 CLINICAL

1.1 To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your own work, including the management of patients in your care.

1.2 To undertake a comprehensive, and holistic, assessment of patients including those with complex presentations / multi-pathologies.

1.3 To use manual and other assessment techniques and clinical reasoning skills to provide an accurate diagnosis of patients' conditions and identify their problems.

1.4 To assess patients' understanding of treatment proposals, gain valid informed consent and have the capacity to work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.

1.5 To use clinical assessment and reasoning skills combined with a specialist knowledge and clinical experience of patho-physiology, evidence-based practice and treatment strategies to provide an effective treatment plan and goals in collaboration with the patient.

1.6 To evaluate patients' progress, re-assess and alter treatment programmes as required.

1.7 To formulate accurate prognoses and liaise with the multi-disciplinary team regarding discharge planning, where necessary, to ensure safe, timely and effective discharge from hospital, or following an outpatient episode of care.

1.8 To be responsible for the safe and competent use of gym, manual handling and respiratory equipment, as well as the use of other aids and appliances by patients in your working area, ensuring that any rotational and specialist respiratory rotational physiotherapists and assistant staff attain competency prior to use.

1.9 To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication skills to communicate effectively with patients during assessment and treatment. To communicate appropriately at all times with all individuals in a respectful manner.

1.10 To use active listening and optimum communication skills to discuss patients concerns, worries and prognoses with them and their families, for example patients who have progressive, degenerative or terminal illnesses and those with newly acquired disabilities.

1.11 To be an active member of the respiratory on-call & weekend rota.

1.12 To provide advice to medical and nursing staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team regarding patients' respiratory conditions, when working on the acute wards.

1.13 To supervise and delegate to assistant staff and rotational and specialist respiratory rotational Physiotherapists.

1.14 To work within Trust, departmental and CSP guidelines, ensuring a good working knowledge of national and local standards.