8a Advanced Therapy Practitioner OT or PT (Hand Therapy)

EAST LANCASHIRE HOSPITALS NHS TRUST; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking an Advanced Therapy Practitioner in Hand Therapy. This role requires advanced clinical expertise, decision-making ability, and leadership qualities. Responsibilities include providing specialist clinical expertise, developing educational programs, and managing complex caseloads. The ideal candidate will have a background in Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy with a minimum of four years' experience in hand trauma. The position offers opportunities for professional advancement and engagement in high-quality patient care.

Qualifications

• Must be a qualified Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist.
• At least four years of clinical experience in hand trauma and elective conditions required.
• Strong leadership and clinical decision-making skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist expertise in hand therapy within a multidisciplinary team.
• Lead and develop educational programs for clinical staff.
• Manage complex caseloads and evidence-based rehabilitation plans.

Skills

Advanced clinical expertise

Clinical reasoning

Patient self-management

Leadership

Interpersonal communication

Education

Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy degree

Minimum four years clinical experience in hand trauma

Job description

The Advanced Therapy Practitioner in Hand Therapy is responsible for advancing evidence‑based clinical practice across East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust. The role requires advanced clinical expertise, judgement, discretion and decision‑making in clinical care, demonstrated through the four pillars of Advanced Clinical Practice: Clinical skills, Leadership & Management, Research and Education.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialist clinical expertise within the professional discipline and across the multidisciplinary therapy team, making evidence‑based decisions with patients about injury or surgery.
• Use clinical‑reasoning skills to assess the presenting problem, interpret findings and develop differential diagnoses, and formulate, communicate and implement management plans that consider individuals’ needs, goals, wishes and local, national guidelines.
• Enable individuals to make decisions about their care using shared decision‑making principles: help them identify priorities and outcomes, explain options in non‑technical language, explore risks, benefits and consequences, and support them in deciding the preferred course of action.
• Deliver and promote programmes of supported patient self‑management that facilitate behavioural change, optimise rehabilitation and fulfil personal goals and independence relevant to injury or surgery.
• Provide clinical and strategic leadership within the multidisciplinary team; work with the leadership team, and be responsible for quality, training, clinical governance and research agendas.
• Monitor and lead improvements to standards of care through supervision of practice, clinical audit, evidence‑based practice, teaching and supporting professional colleagues, and provision of skilled professional leadership.
• Lead on the development and delivery of an education programme for AHP, nursing and medical colleagues across primary and secondary care staff and partner organisations, focusing on hand post‑injury or elective surgery from a Hand Therapy perspective.
• Be a clinical leader in delivery of hand therapy management, demonstrating advanced knowledge and skills in interventions with patients and carers.
• Takes professional responsibility demonstrating high‑level decision‑making and clinical reasoning in assessment and rehabilitation, both within scope of practice and in the holistic MDT.
• Manage a complex caseload, providing supervision/mentoring as required; gather and synthesize information, develop and implement evidence‑based rehabilitation and treatment plans, review and discharge planning.
• Request appropriate investigations and interpret findings to facilitate diagnosis and management plans.
• Receive and make referrals to healthcare professionals, reviewing patients and acting accordingly to reduce waiting times.
• Undertake independent prescribing and use medication administration under Patient Group Directions, according to legislation.
• Advise, initiate, evaluate and modify a range of interventions, including self‑management, lifestyle advice, specialist therapies and independent prescribing.
• Record patient history accurately and in compliance with local, legal and professional requirements.
• Be accountable for own decisions and actions, engaging in peer networking, reflective practice and evidence‑based practice.
• Demonstrate effective person‑centred communication skills, adapting style for those with communication, cognitive and sensory impairments, avoiding jargon and negative descriptors.
• Convey complex clinical information in an easily understood form to patients, carers and all MDT members.
• Deal with difficult or distressed patients and carers, conveying unwanted information sensitively.
• Provide clinical and emotional support for staff in high‑flow environments, including Fracture Clinic and Elective Consultant Clinics.
• Collaborate with multi‑agency and inter‑professional resources, maintaining links to manage risk and issues across organisations and settings.
• Advise on local non‑clinical services for patients and carers, including employment, volunteering, counseling and leisure facilities.
• Make referrals using appropriate documentation to other health and care professionals when in patients’ best interests.
• Respect and build relationships with colleagues, obtaining and sharing information efficiently to expedite and integrate care.
• Participate as an effective team member, contributing to multidisciplinary team activity and learning and development.
• Facilitate collaboration and close working relationships with all services engaged in hand elective and trauma management.
• Develop and implement robust governance systems, ensuring safe quality standards for service users.
• Ensure practice follows professional rules of conduct, Trust policies and national guidelines.
• Lead new practice and service redesign solutions in response to feedback and evaluation.
• Act as a clinical role model, educator, coach and mentor, instilling confidence in the workforce.
• Collect feedback from individuals, families, carers and colleagues to improve quality of care.
• Work with Therapy Leads on complaints, incidents and patient/service user outcomes.
• Challenge concerns constructively, safeguarding patients, colleagues and service safety.
• Lead development and implementation of relevant policies and clinical protocols in hand therapy.
• Negotiate personal scope of practice for staff within legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies.
• Demonstrate awareness of own limitations and recognize scope of practice parameters.
• Represent ELHT on local, regional and national committees as a lead clinician.
• Advocate and contribute to organisational learning to inspire and develop staff.

Additional Information

• Salary is for full‑time hours; a pro‑rated salary applies for less than 37.5 hours per week.
• The vacancy may close early if sufficient applications are received.
• Check the email used for application regularly for updates.
• Shortlisting is completed anonymously against essential criteria; only candidates demonstrating how they meet the person specification will be short‑listed.
• For controlled or regulated activities, offers are provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check.
• DBS checks and costs: Enhanced Disclosure £55.38, Standard Disclosure £27.38. The cost is not payable for volunteer posts.
• Bank workers must pay DBS costs in full at the time of employment checks.

Equal Opportunities

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all individuals irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background. We especially welcome applications from members of BAME communities, as we have identified under‑representation in our workforce. Appointments are made on merit.

Contact and Application Details

Applications are invited from qualified Occupational Therapists or Physiotherapists with a minimum of four years clinical experience in hand trauma and elective conditions, at band 7 level. The role is 8a Advanced Therapy Practitioner OT or PT (Hand Therapy) with potential for Advanced Clinical Practitioner qualification development. The position is within the Hand Therapy Team at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Trust Information

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) provides high‑quality acute secondary health care for over 600,000 people across East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen. The Trust employs over 9,500 staff and aims to reflect the diverse communities it serves.

The Therapies and Orthotics directorate is driven by the Trust’s strategic objectives and values, alongside the new ELHT AHP Strategy, and seeks staff who are strongly aligned with them.