First Contact MSK Physiotherapist

NHS; England; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Dorset is seeking a First Contact MSK Physiotherapist to deliver clinical activity and act as a liaison between primary care services. The role requires strong communication and leadership skills along with demonstrable musculoskeletal physiotherapy experience. Applicants must hold the professional registration and be willing to fulfill a supportive role within an inclusive team environment. Salary ranges from £47,810 to £54,710 pro rata per annum.

Qualifications

• Professional registration with relevant professional body.
• Completion of Stage 1 of the FCP roadmap to practice.
• Leadership / management experience relevant to health care environment.

Responsibilities

• First point of contact for clinical assessment and diagnosis of MSK conditions.
• Develop effective communication between primary care and other care providers.
• Assist service lead in developing research and audit programmes.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Demonstrable musculoskeletal physiotherapy experience

Advanced clinical skills

Computer literacy with a range of software

Education

Masters level qualification in a relevant subject

Professional registration with relevant professional body

Job description

Go back Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

First Contact MSK Physiotherapist

The closing date is 09 December 2025

Are you an established or developing Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner looking for a new and exciting challenge? If the answer is ‘yes’, we have a position across two primary care networks for an individual to join our growing team of First Contact Practitioners.

As part of the role, you will have ringfenced non-clinical time to establish or maintain your FCP roadmap activity in either the portfolio route, or if new to FCP activity via our local HEI academic route. You will be supported in your development by Advanced practice physiotherapists with over 5 years experience of frontline FCP service development and delivery, who are pro‑active across Dorset in developing FCP.

Main duties of the job

Your main role will be the delivery of FCP clinical activity.

• You will be first point of contact for expert clinical assessment and diagnosis of patients presenting with MSK conditions in primary care/GP practices.
• You will be the link between primary, community and acute services, when the patient is managed via primary care ensuring an integrated care pathway for individual patients that meets their needs.
• You will lead on and develop effective communication between primary care services/GP practices and other relevant care providers.
• You will educate others on the role of the FCP, its impact on referral patterns and patient care pathways.
• You will assist the service lead in using local and national evidence-based practice to develop suitable research and audit programmes evaluating the effectiveness of the FCP programme.

About us

The DCH FCP team is closely aligned with the Musculoskeletal out‑patients physiotherapy team, and shares in service training and team building opportunities. We prioritise your professional development, and you will receive weekly check in meetings with the lead therapist for the service to ensure you are fully supported whilst establishing your FCP role.

We are a Trust that celebrates diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We would welcome applications from people in groups which are under‑represented in our organisation.

Right to Work in the UK: This role is not available for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, we are unable to support visa applications for this post in line with UKVI regulations.

We understand that some applicants may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in preparing their application materials. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind candidates that all submissions must be truthful and accurately reflect your own experiences and suitability for this role.

Personal integrity and authenticity are central to our recruitment process. We value honesty and appreciate applications that are genuine and representative of the individual behind them

Job responsibilities

Our DCHFT Job Description and Person Specification (attached) tells you all about this role, what to expect and what is needed to succeed. When completing your application please make sure to tell us how your experience and skills fit the person specification.

Please contact us at [e-mail] if you are unable to view or download the attachment.

For all our roles, we are looking for staff who hold our Trust Values of Integrity, Respect, Teamwork and Excellence, and who are passionate about providing the best patient care. To read more about our Trust and our Values search Dorset County Hospital online.

Person Specification

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

• Professional registration with relevant professional body
• Demonstrable theoretical and practical advanced clinical practice knowledge
• Demonstrable theoretical and practical knowledge of Musculoskeletal injuries
• Conversant with specialty-specific and advanced/expert practice developments at local levels
• Has or is working towards a Masters level qualification in a relevant subject
• Non‑medical prescriber
• Leadership / management experience relevant to health care environment
• Completion of Stage 1 of the FCP roadmap to practice

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrable (specialist/expert) musculoskeletal physiotherapy experience
• Managing defined caseload of patients
• Application of advanced clinical skills into practice
• Patient education and empowerment
• Participation in research and audit and appraisal of evidence
• Working in partnership with all levels of staff
• Teaching and developing staff
• Managing change
• Service and practice development
• Policy and Strategy Development

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, using a range of methods, e.g. verbal, written, record keeping, complex report writing
• To be competent to deal calmly and professionally with patients, relatives and work colleagues in a confidential and sensitive manner
• Computer literacy with a range of software, databases, spreadsheets
• Advanced clinical skills, such as assessing patient’s physical status, requiring precision, accuracy, dexterity.
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex information from patient assessment and interventions and freedom to act in managing patients' care
• Able to deal with demands of rapidly developing and changing service, problem‑solving and prioritising abilities
• Clinical reasoning, problem‑solving and decision‑making skills at an advanced level
• Demonstrable ability to work in a busy environment and cope when the service is under pressure
• Seeks out, and takes, opportunities for improving the service offered, with customer focus in foresight
• Strong sense of commitment to openness, honesty and integrity in undertaking the role
• Good organisational skills
• To be flexible and multi‑skilled to ensure the priorities of the service can be met.
• Able to work independently as an autonomous practitioner, exercising a high degree of freedom to act
• Successful team player
• Ability to work unsupervised and on own initiative and as part of a multi‑disciplinary team
• Ability to respond positively to change
• Has access to a vehicle which can be used for work purposes and has a valid driving licence for the UK
• Ability to be intellectually flexible and to look beyond existing structures, ways of working, boundaries and organisations to produce more effective and innovative service delivery and partnerships.
• Drive for improvement with the proven ability to meet ambitious targets
• Professional role model for advanced clinical practice

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.

Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

£47,810 to £54,710 a year Pro Rata Per Annum