First Contact Physiotherapist

NHS; Bristol; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Bristol is seeking an enthusiastic First Contact Physiotherapist to provide clinical expertise and manage patient care independently. The ideal candidate will have at least 2 years of MSK experience and be a member of the CSP. Responsibilities include assessing and diagnosing conditions, developing care plans, and working within a multi-disciplinary team. This position is primarily on-site with occasional Saturdays required, offering an opportunity to contribute to community health.

Qualifications

• Must have a minimum of 2 years MSK experience.
• Strong evidence of continued professional development.
• Experience working in the NHS preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assess, diagnose, and manage patients independently.
• Develop tailored care programmes in partnership with patients.
• Communicate effectively complex and sensitive information.

Skills

Excellent musculoskeletal assessment

Excellent interpersonal skills

Ability to work independently

Knowledge of treatment options for neurological conditions

Education

Diploma/degree/masters degree in Physiotherapy

Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)

Registration with the Health & Care Professionals Council (HPC)

Job description

Preferably Tuesday(based at Backwell) and Thursday (based at Long Ashton)

Pay is dependenton experience and qualifications

Weare looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to provide clinicalexpertise, acting as a First Contact Physiotherapist and making decisions aboutthe best course of action for patients care.You must be approachable, have good problem-solving skills and haveexperience in a similar role. Thesuccessful candidate must be willing to work occasional Saturdays as overtimeand have completed the First Contact Practitioners in Primary Care(musculoskeletal) Roadmap to Practice.

Main duties of the job

The purpose of the role is to:

Provideclinical expertise, acting as First-Contact Physiotherapist and makingdecisions about the best course of action for patients care (including inrelation to undifferentiated conditions). This will involve seeing patients withoutprior contact with their GP to establish a rapid and accurate diagnosis andmanagement plan.

Progressand request investigations to facilitate diagnosis and choice of treatmentregime, understanding the information limitations derived from these and therelative sensitivity and specificity of tests diagnostic services such asx-rays and blood tests, and interpreting and acting on results to aid patients'diagnosis and management plans.

Deliverprogrammes of supported patient self-management to facilitate behaviouralchanges, optimise individuals physical activity and mobility, fulfil personalgoals and independence, and minimise the need for pharmacologicalinterventions.

About us

Tyntesfield Medical Group in North Somerset is a 13 Partner General Practice with a patient list size currently of around 33,000 split across four sites: Tower House Medical Centre, Brockway Medical Centre, Backwell Medical Centre and Long Ashton Surgery.

We are a friendly and accessible team providing excellent healthcare in our community. We provide a professional, safe, supportive, and efficient working environment for everyone in the practice. We are a forward-thinking organisation with a strong emphasis on teamwork and patient-centred care.

Job responsibilities

Work independently, without day-to-day supervision, to assess, diagnose, triage, and manage patients, taking responsibility for prioritising and managing a caseload of the PCNs registered patients.

Receive patients who self-refer (where systems permit) or from a clinical professional within the PCN and refer to other health professionals within the PCN where required.

Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient-facing role, using their expert knowledge of movement and function issues to create stronger links for wider services through clinical leadership, teaching, and evaluation.

Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients, providing a range of first-line treatment options, including self-management, referral to rehabilitation services, and social prescribing.

Using their full scope of practice, developing skills relating to independent prescribing, injection therapy, and investigation to make professional judgments and decisions in unpredictable situations, including when provided with incomplete or contradictory information. They will take responsibility for creating and justifying these decisions.

Manage undifferentiated, undiagnosed conditions, identify red flags and underlying serious pathology, and take appropriate action

Manage complex interactions, including working with patients with psychosocial and mental health needs, referring onwards as required, and including social prescribing when appropriate.

Use complex decision-making to inform the diagnoses, investigation, and complete management of episodes of care within a broad scope of practice.

Communicate effectively with patients and their carers where applicable, as well as complex and sensitive information regarding diagnoses, pathology, prognosis, and treatment choices supporting personalised care.

Implement all aspects of practical clinical governance for own practice, including undertaking regular audits and evaluations, supervision, and training.

Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients through:

• Effective, shared decision-making with a range of first-line management options (appropriate for a patients activation level).
• Assessing levels of patient activation to support a patients knowledge, skills, and confidence to self-manage their conditions, ensuring they can evaluate and improve the effectiveness of self-management interventions, particularly for those at low activation levels.
• Agreeing with the patients appropriate support for self-management through referral to rehabilitation services and wider social prescribing as appropriate.
• Design and implement plans that facilitate behavioural change, optimise patients' physical activity and mobility, support fulfilling personal goals and independence, and reduce the need for pharmacological interventions.

Request and progress investigations (such as x-rays and blood tests) and referrals to facilitate the diagnosis and choice of treatment regime, including considering the limitations of these investigations, interpreting, and acting on results and feedback to aid patients diagnoses and management plans.

Be accountable for decisions and actions via Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC) registration, supported by a professional peer networking/review culture and engagement in evidence-based practice.

Liaising with secondary and community care services and secondary and community MSK services where required, using local social and community interventions to support managing patients within the PCN.

Take professional responsibility as a first-contact physiotherapist, with high-level decision-making and clinical reasoning skills to assess, diagnose, and triage patients.

Manage a complex caseload (including patients with long-term conditions, co-morbidities, and multi-factorial needs).

Ensure care is proactive, preventive in focus, and population-based, emphasising early intervention.

Support patients to set their own goals and be confident in their approach to self-management.

Person Specification

Qualities and attributes

• Confident attitude
• Willingness to learn new skills and rise to new challenges
• The persistence to work hard to achieve the best for every patient under difficult circumstances
• Display leadership qualities

Qualifications

• Diploma/degree/masters degree in Physiotherapy
• Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
• Registration with the Health & Care Professionals Council (HPC)
• Strong evidence of continued professional development
• May hold or be working towards a prescribing qualification

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to work independently
• Knowledge of treatment options and pathways for neurological conditions
• A clear understanding of the CSP professional code of conduct and relevant professional guidelines
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent musculoskeletal assessment, diagnosis and management skills (with the understanding of local and national guidelines)
• Knowledge of the roles physiotherapists play in private practice
• Ability to work under pressure

Experience

• Experience working with a range of clients
• 2 years of MSK experience
• Experience working in the NHS and understanding of local pathways
• Completed the FCP in Primary Care (musculoskeletal) Roadmap to Practice
• Experience in inpatient / out-patient / community neurological rehabilitation

Other requirements

• Ability to carry out moderate to intense physical activity throughout the working day
• Willingness to work improved access hours, which will include some evening work and Saturday mornings
• Hold a full driving licence. Car owner

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.