Advanced Practitioner Physiotherapist (MSK- With Upper Limb Bias)

NHS; Leicester; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS Trust is seeking an Advanced Practitioner Physiotherapist with a focus on Musculoskeletal care. This role involves providing expert clinical care, leading research initiatives, and working within a multidisciplinary team to ensure high-quality patient care. Candidates should possess a Master's degree and significant experience in MSK settings.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years as a senior clinician or specialist within MSK Outpatients/Orthopaedics.
• Experience in clinical supervision, training, research, and project leadership.

Responsibilities

• Undertake roles traditionally undertaken by medical staff, assessing, diagnosing, and referring for surgery.
• Lead and develop clinical practice within a specialty, ensuring compliance with guidelines.
• Manage a clinical caseload, including complex cases within their area of specialty.

Skills

Advanced clinical skills in Upper Limb MSK

Ability to develop coping strategies for stressful situations

Education

Master's Degree in Physiotherapy

PhD or postgraduate teaching qualifications

Job description

Go back University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Advanced Practitioner Physiotherapist (MSK- With Upper Limb Bias)

The closing date is 29 May 2025

Are you an Advanced Practice Physiotherapist or an aspiring Advanced Practice Physiotherapist? Do you have proven Clinical and Research Skills and the desire to inspire the Musculoskeletal workforce?

There is a unique opportunity to apply for this post, where the Job plan will cover Advanced Practice Upper Limb Orthopaedic Clinics, dedicated research time to conduct, support, and champion research and work in core physiotherapy services sharing expertise.

This post will initially be on a fixed-term contract for 18 months with the opportunity to extend.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated, highly experienced, and competent MSK Physiotherapist with a commitment to patient-focused care, maintaining CPD / specialist skills, and the flexibility to work evenings and weekends as necessary.

You will continue to develop and evaluate your Advanced Practice Physiotherapy role to ensure that patients receive high-quality, evidence-based care. You will join an established team of Advanced Practice Physiotherapists and work as part of a multidisciplinary Clinical and Research Team.

Main duties of the job

The UHL Therapy service provides key assessments, treatment recommendations, and interventions to promote health, independence, and optimal function for patients.

The post holder will be accountable for delivering high-quality Orthopaedic Triage and Treatment within a defined clinical area or pathway within the Musculoskeletal Service. They will provide expert clinical care and leadership within a Physiotherapy Out-Patient Department. Additionally, leading and developing research initiatives within therapies will be integral to the role. The specifics of this Job Plan will be discussed during the recruitment process.

They will be responsible as an Advanced Practitioner in Consultant Musculoskeletal/Orthopaedic outpatient clinics for diagnosing conditions, screening for serious pathology, formulating patient-specific management plans, which may include listing for surgery or referring for conservative treatment.

They will provide expert clinical and research practice with advanced clinical reasoning to support staff in all relevant areas. A full understanding of the Trust's research agenda will be required.

About us

Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030).

We have four primary goals:

• High-quality care for all,
• Being a great place to work,
• Partnerships for impact, and
• Research and education excellence

We will embed health equality in all we do—taking active steps to reduce avoidable healthcare disparities, working in partnership with communities.

Our strategy is underpinned by new values, and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:

• We are compassionate,
• We are proud,
• We are inclusive, and
• We are one team

This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on our strengths and areas for growth to make a bigger difference for those we serve.

About the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:

http://www.leicestershospitals.nhs.uk/aboutus/work-for-us/current-vacancies/

Job responsibilities

The Advanced Practitioner Physiotherapist (Musculoskeletal - Clinical Research with Upper Limb Bias) will:

• Undertake roles traditionally undertaken by medical staff, acting as first contact clinicians, assessing, diagnosing, screening for serious conditions, referring for diagnostics, and booking for surgery or MDT review.
• Lead, evaluate, and develop clinical practice within a specialty, ensuring compliance with national and local guidelines in conjunction with the clinical lead.
• Be responsible for clinical standards, evidence-based practice, and quality metrics within the specialty.
• Work autonomously to provide highly specialist therapy assessments, diagnose, and develop individualized treatment programs based on patient needs, using advanced clinical reasoning skills.
• Manage a clinical caseload, including complex cases within their area of specialty.
• Participate in developing and promoting AHPs within the specialty.
• Contribute to the planning, development, and evaluation of AHPs within the team, holding responsibility for specific projects.
• Collaborate with the Therapy Specialty Lead/Consultant Physiotherapist/Therapy Clinical Team Leader to develop links across teams and sites.
• Ensure training and development of staff within the therapy team.
• Liaise with colleagues across sites to ensure seamless, equitable service provision.
• Deputize for the Therapy Specialty Lead/Team Leader as appropriate.
• Develop the evidence base for practice through audits, clinical effectiveness, and research activities.
• Support service improvement and transformation initiatives.
• Develop and promote competencies in Advanced Practice and Research Practice under senior guidance.
• Maintain up-to-date specialist knowledge and understanding of best practices and health service developments.
• Engage in continuous personal and professional development.
• Participate in on-call and weekend/bank holiday rotas as required.

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

• Master's Degree or equivalent experience in Physiotherapy, with appropriate postgraduate education in MSK (e.g., experiential learning and formal courses), research qualifications, and injection therapy qualification.
• PhD or postgraduate teaching qualifications and evidence of relevant clinical and research courses.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years as a senior clinician or specialist within MSK Outpatients/Orthopaedics.
• Experience in clinical supervision, training, research, and project leadership.

Skills and Abilities

• Advanced clinical skills in Upper Limb MSK.
• Ability to develop coping strategies for stressful situations.

Other Requirements

• Proven leadership of a Physiotherapy team.
• Commitment to research and clinical practice culture.
• Understanding of the Trust’s research priorities.

Knowledge

• Broad understanding of issues affecting Physiotherapy and/or Occupational Therapy, including governance and policy frameworks.
• Commitment to ongoing personal and professional development.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to a DBS check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.

Salary: £53,755 to £60,504 per annum / pro-rata for part-time hours.