First Contact Practitioner (Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner)

Wwl; Wigan; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

An established NHS Trust is looking for an Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner to join their dynamic team. This role is pivotal in delivering high-quality clinical care in a general practice setting, focusing on musculoskeletal disorders. The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication and leadership skills, with a strong background in MSK physiotherapy. You will have the opportunity to drive improvements in clinical outcomes while working collaboratively with a dedicated team. Flexible working options are available, making this a fantastic opportunity for those seeking a rewarding career in healthcare. If you're passionate about patient care and ready to take on a leadership role, this position is for you.

Qualifications

• Extensive expert knowledge in physiotherapy and MSK.
• Evidence of leadership and effective people management.

Responsibilities

• Lead MSK changes within the PCN and manage the FCP service.
• Provide musculoskeletal assessment and treatment as first contact.

Skills

Effective communication skills

Leadership skills

Clinical reasoning

Negotiation skills

Collaboration

Education

Degree/Diploma in Physiotherapy

Master’s Degree Level equivalent

Post graduate qualification in independent prescribing

Job description

First Contact Practitioner (Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner)

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Main area: Physiotherapy Grade NHS AfC: Band 8a

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday - full and part time will be considered)

Job ref: 302-25-6974913SS

Site: Wigan Borough PCNs

Town: Wigan

Salary: £53,755 - £60,504 Per Annum Pro Rata

Salary period: Yearly

Closing: 21/02/2025 23:59

Job overview

We are excited to invite applications from experienced MSK physiotherapists seeking to deliver the highest level of clinical care from a general practice setting. The First Contact Practitioner (FCP) model has been designed to support musculoskeletal clinicians in primary care as well as provide a resilient framework for the future of FCP delivery.

As a successful candidate, you will need to have excellent communication skills and be able to negotiate and manage conflicting priorities. You will be able to demonstrate inspirational leadership from your previous leadership roles and be able to drive and deliver improved quality and clinical outcomes for patients. The ability to develop, establish and maintain positive relationships with others both internally and externally to the NHS is essential as is the need to be resilient, confident, and committed.

Full Time/Part time/Flexible Working will be actively encouraged.

The role will require you to work across all areas in the Trust which may include those that are designated as positive, asymptomatic and negative COVID wards.

Evidence of qualifications will be requested at interview and during compliance checks.

Main duties of the job

• Take a lead role implementing and managing MSK related changes within the PCN and maintaining an effective FCP service.
• Liaise with PCN managers, clinical directors, PCN board and other primary care staff as required.
• Be the first point of contact for patients with undiagnosed MSK disorders.
• Direct the care pathway for patients autonomously, including assessment and diagnostics, appropriate self-care advice or onward referral as indicated.
• Familiarity with IRMER and explaining their use and implications to patients.
• Have or be currently undertaking Level 7 learning within MSK.
• Provide supervision and education to the wider clinical team, including primary care staff and other FCPs.
• Contribute towards effective and efficient services.

Working for our organisation

Choose Well – Choose WWL

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust are the proud providers of acute hospital and community services to the people of the Wigan Borough and surrounding areas. At WWL, we value our staff believing that ‘happy staff, makes for happy patients’. We have a recognised track record in staff engagement, and living our values ‘the WWL Way’.

WWL are committed to placing the patient at the heart of everything we do, and in the provision of safe, effective care that acknowledges and ensures dignity. With this in mind we are seeking to recruit people who share our values and beliefs.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Attend and feed back to the PCN at meetings as directed by the PCN board.
• Promote the FCP service both locally and nationally.
• Be a point of contact for PCN staff for MSK related issues and MSK training.
• Audit service to ensure best practice.
• Provide musculoskeletal assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of patients presenting to the GP practice as a first point of contact.
• Act as a source of expertise on the management of complex and general musculoskeletal patients.
• Maintain records as an autonomous practitioner.
• Plan, coordinate, deliver and evaluate the FCP service provided to patients within the PCN.
• Educate and train other health professionals, medical staff and students in the management of musculoskeletal conditions.

Person specification

Knowledge

• Evidence of extensive expert professional/clinical knowledge in area.
• Evidence of specialist clinical training and CPD relevant to area of practice.

Skills

• Evidence of effective people management and leadership skills.
• Highly developed effective communication and negotiation skills.
• Excellent clinical reasoning and clinical decision making skills.
• Able to work collaboratively with a range of colleagues.
• Evidence of ability to design, develop and deliver programmes of specialised learning in line with evidence-based practice.

Experience

• Have extensive experience working at Band 7 and also relevant experience within MSK specialty at a senior level.
• Evidence of involvement in the development of programmes of care, protocols and clinical audit.
• Evidence of involvement and leadership in teaching and mentoring learners.

Qualifications

• Degree/Diploma in Physiotherapy.
• Evidence of successful completion equivalent to Master’s Degree Level.
• To have or be working towards a post graduate qualification in independent prescribing and/or injection therapy.
• HCPC professional Council Registration.
• Member of a relevant special interest group.
• Completed Stage 2 FCP Roadmap to Practice.

Additional

• May be exposed to unpleasant working conditions/hazards.
• Speak English to an appropriate standard relevant to their role.
• Able to travel across trust independently.
• May be exposed to distressing and occasional highly distressing and emotional circumstances.

Our Trust prefers candidates to submit applications online. Please contact the Recruitment Team on 01942 244000 if you have difficulty applying online.

The Trust reserves the right to close adverts earlier than the stated closing date if there is a high volume of applications.

We endeavour to inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by email or SMS text message.

Guidance on Completing Your Application

Applications are scored against the person specification, therefore we recommend that you use the supporting information section of your application form to demonstrate how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role, providing illustrative examples where possible.