St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Principal Physiotherapist – Cardio-Respiratory

The closing date is 08 December 2025

Job summary

St George's is a large Teaching Hospital in South-West London, serving a diverse and multicultural local community and providing specialised services nationally. The Trust is one of Europe's largest teaching hospitals and specialises in Major Trauma, Neurosciences, Cardiology and Plastics, amongst its specialties.

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Physiotherapy Service is recruiting to the Principal Physiotherapist for the Acute Cardio-Respiratory Service which encompasses acute respiratory medicine, cardiac surgery, cardiology, CTITU, heart failure, thoracics, general surgery, GITU, head and neck, post-critical illness rehabilitation, renal, urology and vascular services.

We are looking for a dynamic physiotherapist with excellent clinical leadership in cardio-respiratory physiotherapy. You will be expected to work as an autonomous practitioner, be up to date with evidence-based practice in your clinical field and be able to demonstrate advanced assessment and rehabilitation of patients who have cardio-respiratory presentations. You will be responsible for the operational management of the physiotherapy team, ensuring delivery of high-quality patient centred care measured by clinical outcomes, patient experience and patient safety measures.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for the operational management and clinical leadership of the acute respiratory medicine, cardiac surgery, cardiology, CTITU, heart failure, thoracics, general surgery, GITU, head and neck, post-critical illness rehabilitation, renal, urology and vascular inpatient rehabilitation services at St George's. Their expert clinical reasoning skills will provide highly specialist support and advice to the physiotherapy and other clinical staff within and outside the Trust whilst working as an autonomous practitioner.

The post holder will provide expert clinical oversight and strategic input to managers which supports the direction of cardio-respiratory physiotherapy Services across the whole organisation utilising the principles of clinical governance.

The post holder will provide oversight for the respiratory outpatient service and pulmonary rehabilitation as required.

The post holder will identify clinical research, audit, and data collection priorities within areas of expertise to drive departmental clinical development strategy.

The post holder will lead on excellence of training and education, within areas of clinical expertise across the whole organisation

About us

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group form a leading regional healthcare partnership serving populations across Southwest London, Surrey, and beyond. Our integrated hospitals group delivers a comprehensive range of services--from cutting-edge tertiary, trauma, and specialist care to robust community health offerings--to nearly 5 million people, backed by a 17,000-strong workforce.

At our flagship site, St George's Hospital in Tooting--a major teaching hospital and one of the UK's 11 major trauma centres--we drive clinical excellence and research in partnership with St George's, University of London and Kingston University. Our network extends to Queen Mary's Hospital; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, which hosts the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC). Additionally, St Johns Therapy Centre and The Nelson Centre provide specialised services to a diverse patient base.

Details

Date posted

24 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£64,156 to £71,148 a year pa pro-rata Inclusive of HCAS (inner)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

200-7579221-DE-PT

Job locations

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London

Blackshaw road

London

SW17 0QT


Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the supporting document attached, ensuring that any application refers to supporting documents and person specification

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the supporting document attached, ensuring that any application refers to supporting documents and person specification

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

  • oDegree/Diploma in Physiotherapy
  • oHPC Registration
  • oWorking at master's level as demonstrated by ongoing CPD including master's level accreditation, lecturing on master's level courses and research / publications.
  • oPost registration training in respiratory physiotherapy and management
  • oCommitment to advanced clinical professional development

Desirable

  • oPost graduate qualification e.g. MSc Respiratory Physiology
  • oMembership of a special interest group
  • oMember of relevant appropriate multi professional interest group e.g. BTS
  • A willingness to train for the ACP pathway in the future

Experience

Essential

  • oMinimum 6 years post registration respiratory experience
  • oMinimum 3 years at Band 7 level experience of working in respiratory physiotherapy, including management of critically ill patients.
  • oExpert knowledge & experience of a wide range of approaches to the management of patients across several respiratory specialities including critical care settings, demonstrated by advanced clinical reasoning.
  • oExpert level of knowledge in the application of all respiratory modalities including invasive and non-invasive respiratory support
  • oExpert level of knowledge of tracheostomy management including development of weaning strategies
  • oPrevious experience of student supervision and clinical education
  • oPrevious experience of formal presentations to multi professional groups
  • oEvidence of continued professional development, reviewing current practise and research developments within respiratory care and trauma, with application to clinical practise
  • oRobust understanding of research methodology
  • oDemonstrated understanding of the role of physiotherapy within the evolving health environment
  • oClear understanding of other disciplines' roles and expectations
  • oRobust understanding of all aspects of Clinical Governance including previous experience of quality issues, audit, and risk management
  • Experience in operational service management
  • Understanding of NHS commissioning, ICB structures, and integrated care models

Desirable

  • oPrevious experience as a clinical specialist physiotherapist (or equivalent ) in a teaching hospital environment
  • oActively involved in developing research links with other academic institutions
  • Previous experience in operational service management across multiple services
  • oActively involved in teaching specialisms / extended scope to the multi-disciplinary team.
  • oActively involved in audit and service evaluation
  • oEvidence of publications in recognised respiratory journals.

Skills

Essential

  • oExpert advanced clinical practitioner
  • oExceptional team building and team working skills.
  • Experience in workforce planning, rota management, and service redesign
  • oAble to present information, written or orally in a clear and logical fashion.
  • oAbility to keep legible and accurate records in English using POMR format.
  • oCompetent I.T. skills
  • oAbility to comprehend and work within the Trust's policies including the Data Protection, Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety to meet the differing needs of the patient
  • oProven clinical leadership ability.
  • oAble to recognise in yourself and individuals work related stress and pressures.
  • oConfidence in teaching multidisciplinary staff groups
  • oConduct professional affairs in a confident and assertive manner.
  • oAble to work independently.
  • oExcellent presentation skills
  • oAble to carry out concurrent activities (multi-tasking) and work in an unpredictable working pattern (will be required to carry a bleep)
  • oAbility to frequently cope with working in a stressful environment and with intense concentration for periods of up to 40 minutes at a time throughout the day.
  • oExcellent time management and organisational skills

Desirable

  • oEvidence of extended scope (e.g. tracheostomy changes and de-cannulation, ABG sampling, LUS)
  • oevidence of service development / scaling up new services

Other

Essential

  • oPhysically fit and able to comply with Trust Manual Handling Guidelines
  • oAble to perform emergency duties.
  • oProfessional demeanour
  • oAble to alter their working patterns to include working extended hours (between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday), unsociable hours (8pm to 8am Monday to Friday) and weekend working (8pm Friday to 8am Monday). This may be via additional on-call hours, shift pattern or another system.
Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

  • oDegree/Diploma in Physiotherapy
  • oHPC Registration
  • oWorking at master's level as demonstrated by ongoing CPD including master's level accreditation, lecturing on master's level courses and research / publications.
  • oPost registration training in respiratory physiotherapy and management
  • oCommitment to advanced clinical professional development

Desirable

  • oPost graduate qualification e.g. MSc Respiratory Physiology
  • oMembership of a special interest group
  • oMember of relevant appropriate multi professional interest group e.g. BTS
  • A willingness to train for the ACP pathway in the future

Experience

Essential

  • oMinimum 6 years post registration respiratory experience
  • oMinimum 3 years at Band 7 level experience of working in respiratory physiotherapy, including management of critically ill patients.
  • oExpert knowledge & experience of a wide range of approaches to the management of patients across several respiratory specialities including critical care settings, demonstrated by advanced clinical reasoning.
  • oExpert level of knowledge in the application of all respiratory modalities including invasive and non-invasive respiratory support
  • oExpert level of knowledge of tracheostomy management including development of weaning strategies
  • oPrevious experience of student supervision and clinical education
  • oPrevious experience of formal presentations to multi professional groups
  • oEvidence of continued professional development, reviewing current practise and research developments within respiratory care and trauma, with application to clinical practise
  • oRobust understanding of research methodology
  • oDemonstrated understanding of the role of physiotherapy within the evolving health environment
  • oClear understanding of other disciplines' roles and expectations
  • oRobust understanding of all aspects of Clinical Governance including previous experience of quality issues, audit, and risk management
  • Experience in operational service management
  • Understanding of NHS commissioning, ICB structures, and integrated care models

Desirable

  • oPrevious experience as a clinical specialist physiotherapist (or equivalent ) in a teaching hospital environment
  • oActively involved in developing research links with other academic institutions
  • Previous experience in operational service management across multiple services
  • oActively involved in teaching specialisms / extended scope to the multi-disciplinary team.
  • oActively involved in audit and service evaluation
  • oEvidence of publications in recognised respiratory journals.

Skills

Essential

  • oExpert advanced clinical practitioner
  • oExceptional team building and team working skills.
  • Experience in workforce planning, rota management, and service redesign
  • oAble to present information, written or orally in a clear and logical fashion.
  • oAbility to keep legible and accurate records in English using POMR format.
  • oCompetent I.T. skills
  • oAbility to comprehend and work within the Trust's policies including the Data Protection, Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety to meet the differing needs of the patient
  • oProven clinical leadership ability.
  • oAble to recognise in yourself and individuals work related stress and pressures.
  • oConfidence in teaching multidisciplinary staff groups
  • oConduct professional affairs in a confident and assertive manner.
  • oAble to work independently.
  • oExcellent presentation skills
  • oAble to carry out concurrent activities (multi-tasking) and work in an unpredictable working pattern (will be required to carry a bleep)
  • oAbility to frequently cope with working in a stressful environment and with intense concentration for periods of up to 40 minutes at a time throughout the day.
  • oExcellent time management and organisational skills

Desirable

  • oEvidence of extended scope (e.g. tracheostomy changes and de-cannulation, ABG sampling, LUS)
  • oevidence of service development / scaling up new services

Other

Essential

  • oPhysically fit and able to comply with Trust Manual Handling Guidelines
  • oAble to perform emergency duties.
  • oProfessional demeanour
  • oAble to alter their working patterns to include working extended hours (between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday), unsociable hours (8pm to 8am Monday to Friday) and weekend working (8pm Friday to 8am Monday). This may be via additional on-call hours, shift pattern or another system.

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.

UK Registration

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

Additional information

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.

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London

Blackshaw road

London

SW17 0QT


Employer's website

https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London

Blackshaw road

London

SW17 0QT


Employer's website

https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

AHP Therapy Consultant- Rehabilitation

Louise McGregor

louise.mcgregor@stgeorges.nhs.uk

02087250534

Details

Date posted

24 November 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£64,156 to £71,148 a year pa pro-rata Inclusive of HCAS (inner)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

200-7579221-DE-PT

Job locations

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust London

Blackshaw road

London

SW17 0QT


Supporting documents

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