Highly Specialist Physiotherapist

Job summary

As an autonomous practitioner, to assess and treat own caseload and provide a highly specialist orthopaedic physiotherapy service to patients

To work as a member of the multidisciplinary team (MDT), assessing and treating patients with orthopaedic / musculoskeletal disabilities, including complex cases, and maintain accurate and comprehensive patient records

To work closely with other therapists in the Orthopaedics Therapy Service with the management and delivery of the inpatient Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Service

To work closely with the Principal Physiotherapist and Inpatient Therapy lead with the development of the Orthopaedic Therapy Service

To assist the Principal Physiotherapist managing the development and appraisal of line managed staff and students

To regularly provide formal and informal, on-going training and education to physiotherapy staff, other healthcare professions and students

To engage in own continued professional development (CPD) and service development

To assist the Principal Physiotherapist managing clinical audit within the team and undertake research

Main duties of the job

To assess patients' understanding of treatment proposals and gain valid informed consent, in order to work within a legal framework with all patients, including those who lack the capacity to consent to treatment.

To communicate effectively with individual patients. This includes discussion about their condition which may be sensitive, complex and difficult to accept (e.g. due to limited rehab potential), in order to ensure understanding and optimise outcome. To also provide education and explanation of therapy interventions, in order to facilitate improved outcomes and to provide empathy and support to families and carers.

To communicate effectively with patients pre-operatively including via telephone, video calls, in a group setting and 1:1 meetings as part of the Joint School element of the Enhanced recovery programme for Elective Total Hip and Total Knee replacement surgery.

To use verbal and non-verbal communication skills with patients where there will often be barriers to effective communication i.e. intubation, tracheostomy, altered perception, pain, fear, expressive/receptive dysphasia, higher cognitive problems and cultural barriers.

To communicate effectively and work collaboratively within the multi-disciplinary team (including Doctors and intermediate and continuing care services) to facilitate appropriate medical intervention and timely discharge planning, this involves contributing to ward rounds and coordinating early discharge.

About us

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH) cares for the people of Brent, Ealing, Harrow and beyond.

Our team of more than 8,200 clinical and support staff serve a diverse population of almost one million people.

We run major acute services at:

• Northwick Park Hospital: home to one of the busiest emergency departments (A&E) in the country. The hospital provides a full range of services including the country's top-rated hyper-acute stroke unit and one of only three hyper-acute rehabilitation units in the UK
• St Mark's Hospital: an internationally renowned specialist centre for bowel disease
• Ealing Hospital: a busy district general hospital providing a range of clinical services, as well as 24/7 emergency department and urgent care centre, and specialist care at Meadow House Hospice
• Central Middlesex Hospital: our planned care site, hosting a range of surgical and outpatient services and collocated with an urgent care centre.

We are a university teaching NHS trust, in recognition of the important role we play in training clinicians of the future and bringing the benefits of research to the public.