First Contact Physiotherapy Practitioner FCP

Northern Care Alliance; Bury; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS pension

Job summary

Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Bury is seeking an Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner (First Contact Practitioner) to join our established FCP team, providing expert MSK assessment and management at first contact in Primary Care.

The role involves autonomous decision-making, collaboration with GPs and secondary care, and opportunities to contribute to service development, education and clinical leadership within an established service.

Qualifications

• Current HCPC registration as a Physiotherapist.
• Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
• Member of a relevant specialist interest group.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert musculoskeletal assessment, diagnosis and management for patients within Primary Care.
• Act as first point of contact for undifferentiated MSK conditions and determine management/referral pathways.
• Utilise advanced clinical reasoning to manage complex presentations independently.
• Request and interpret investigations within scope of practice.
• Refer patients to community, secondary care and specialist services as appropriate.
• Support patient education, self-management and shared decision-making.
• Collaborate with GPs, practice teams, community services and secondary care clinicians.
• Maintain high standards of clinical documentation, governance and professional practice.
• Participate in supervision, audit, service evaluation and quality improvement.
• Provide clinical leadership and act as a specialist MSK resource.

Skills

HCPC registration

CSCP member

Specialist group member

Education

MSc Advanced Clinical Practice

BSc Physiotherapy

Non Medical Prescriber

Steroid Injection Therapy Qualification

Leadership Qualification

Job description

First Contact Physiotherapy Practitioner FCP

Band 8a

Main area FCP Physiotherapy service Grade Band 8a Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (May be a future requirement to do evenings and weekend day if required) Job ref 236-CSS-P341-26-A

Site Primary Care bases in Bury Town Bury Salary £57,528 - £64,750 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 05/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

We are seeking a motivated Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner (First Contact Practitioner) to join our established FCP team, working across Primary Care services in Bury.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Band 8a clinician to provide advanced musculoskeletal care within Primary Care, assessing, diagnosing and managing patients at their first point of contact. As part of the NCA-wide MSK service, the post holder will work closely with General Practice, community and secondary care services to ensure patients receive timely access to the most appropriate assessment, treatment and onward care.

The role also provides opportunities to contribute to service development, quality improvement, education and clinical leadership within an established and supportive FCP service.

Main duties of the job

• Provide expert musculoskeletal assessment, diagnosis and management for patients presenting within Primary Care.
• Act as the first point of contact for patients with undifferentiated MSK conditions, determining appropriate management and referral pathways.
• Utilise advanced clinical reasoning and decision-making to independently manage complex presentations.
• Request and interpret appropriate investigations within scope of practice.
• Refer patients to community, secondary care and specialist services as appropriate.
• Support patients with education, self-management and shared decision-making.
• Work collaboratively with GPs, practice teams, community services and secondary care clinicians to optimise patient outcomes.
• Maintain high standards of clinical documentation, governance and professional practice.
• Participate in clinical supervision, peer review, audit, service evaluation and quality improvement activities.
• Provide clinical leadership and act as a specialist MSK resource to Primary Care colleagues and the wider MSK service.

Working for our organisation

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) provides hospital and integrated health and social care services to over one million people living across Greater Manchester. Our 20,000 colleagues care for people in hospital and in the community, working across Bury, Rochdale, Oldham and Salford, to save and improve lives.

As a large NHS trust we are committed to enhancing the health of our local population by delivering consistently high standards of care and working closely with local authorities and key partners. We believe in our power and potential to make a difference and we’re always looking for people who demonstrate our three core values - care, appreciate and inspire – to join our team.

In return, we can offer you a job role with purpose and flexibility. The size and scale of the NCA means we can provide more challenge and opportunities so your career can always be moving in the right direction. By joining us you can also access a competitive benefits package, including, a fantastic annual leave allowance, flexible working opportunities and protected hours for health and wellbeing activities, helping you to achieve more personal downtime and a better work-life balance.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To read more information about the advertised role, and the main job duties/responsibilities please open the Job Description and Person Specification located under the supporting documents heading. You can also read more information about working at the Northern Care Alliance within the attached Candidate Information Pack or by visiting our careers website: www.careers.northerncarealliance.nhs.uk

Person specification

Professional Registration

• Current HCPC registration for Physiotherapist
• Member of Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
• Member of relevant specialist interest group

Qualifications

• MSc Advanced Clinical Practice or evidence of working towards MSc Advanced Clinical Practice, or equivalent recognised Advanced Practice qualification/portfolio mapped to the four pillars of Advanced Practice.
• BSc Physiotherapy/Graduate Diploma Physiotherapy
• Non Medical Prescriber
• Administration of Steroid Injection Therapy Qualification
• Leadership Qualification

Knowledge training and experience

• Evidence of highly developed specialist musculoskeletal knowledge at Master's level or equivalent, demonstrated through advanced clinical practice, management of complex presentations and autonomous clinical decision-making.
• Evidence of recent advanced clinical courses and continuing professional development relevant to advanced musculoskeletal practice and autonomous clinical decision-making.
• Evidence of extensive experience working at Band 7 level or equivalent within Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, demonstrating advanced clinical reasoning, autonomous decision-making and management of complex and undifferentiated musculoskeletal presentations.
• Teaching, supervisory and appraisal skills and experience on a regular basis
• Evidence of working within organisational policies and procedures, including Data Protection, Equality and Diversity, and Health and Safety requirements, to deliver safe, effective and inclusive patient care
• Evidence of being self-motivated, with the ability to lead, influence and motivate others to deliver high-quality patient care and service objectives.

The NCA is proud to serve a diverse population and is committed to delivering inclusive, accessible care. We value individuality and aim to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Applications are welcomed from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and beliefs.

We also warmly welcome applications from serving and former members of the Armed Forces community and their families. Please indicate on your application form if you are a member of the Armed Forces community to be considered under our guaranteed interview scheme, subject to meeting the essential criteria for the role.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to offering a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact the Recruitment Team at [e-mail]

Vacancies may close before the advertised closing date if a high volume of applications are received or where an internal redeployee has been identified.

For fixed-term roles, current NHS staff will be considered for secondments, while fixed-term contracts will be offered to external (non-NHS) applicants.

If you are applying for an internal secondment opportunity, we strongly encourage you to discuss this with your line manager before submitting your application. Any secondment offer will be subject to management agreement and the needs of your substantive service. Where release cannot be supported, the secondment may unfortunately be unable to proceed.

Recruitment Agencies

The NCA does not accept unsolicited CVs from agencies.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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