Highly specialist OT/Physiotherapist

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals; The Wells; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust is seeking a highly skilled Hand Therapist to lead and enhance the MSK Hand Therapy Team. You will work autonomously, managing a diverse caseload including acute trauma and post-elective cases, with strong links to consultants and training programs.

You will educate students and junior staff, drive clinical development, and contribute to audit and research initiatives within hand therapy, ensuring high standards of patient care and service

Qualifications

• Experience in Hand Therapy Service essential, preferably NHS.
• Ability to educate and train students and staff in hand therapy.

Responsibilities

• Develop and provide effective hand therapy services.
• Organise and develop the hand therapy service and deputise for the Operational Lead.
• Educate and train undergraduate and postgraduate professionals; support clinical staff.

Skills

Hand therapy

NHS experience

Autonomous working

Education

Degree in Occupational Therapy

Job description

We are looking for a highly skilled, dynamic, enthusiastic and motivated Hand Therapist to join and help lead our wonderful MSK Hand Therapy Team. Experience of working within a Hand Therapy Service is essential, preferably within the NHS and with experience of managing patients from Acute Elective, Acute Trauma, Plastics and Rheumatology. We have an active In-Service training programme and excellent links with our Consultant Surgical colleagues who also provide training for the team. The caseload is varied with the majority being acute trauma or post-elective surgery but also includes community referrals from local GPs and FCPs. The Hand Therapy unit is very busy but the team are very cohesive and supportive of one and other. The Hand Therapy Service is also part of the wider Surrey Downs Health & Care MSK Service.

Role Summary

• 1. To develop and provide effective and efficient specialist hand therapy services to patients within the context of a hand therapy setting, working autonomously and without direct supervision
• 2. To be responsible for the organisation, management, evaluation and development of the hand therapy service and to deputise for the Operational Lead as required.
• 3. To educate and train undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare professionals, in the management of hand conditions. To provide expert support and advice to clinical staff within and outside the organisation
• 4. To identify clinical research, audit, and data collection priorities within area of expertise to drive departmental clinical development strategy, in line with the governance agenda and in conjunction with the multidisciplinary team, using evidence-based practice

Surrey Downs Health and Care deliver care closer to people's own communities through our Primary Care Networks, Community Hospitals, Specialist Services and our innovative partnership of local NHS organisations. Surrey Downs Health and Care has a track record of providing person centered care that goes beyond organisational boundaries to do what is best for the individual.

This partnership includes:

• The three GP federations GP Health Partners, Dorking Health Care and Surrey Medical Network representing practices that operate in the Surrey Downs area
• Epsom and St Helier's University Hospitals NHS Trust
• Surrey County Council

Historically, there have been boundary lines between the organisations that provide care to people in their homes, in GP surgeries and in hospitals, but we have always been united in our mission to provide great care to the people who need us. It's on those grounds that the Surrey Downs Health and Care was formed - we want local people to receive the care that they need in the right environment. By bringing together our expertise, we can improve patient care and enable local people to access the right support, care and treatment more easily than ever before. In bringing this partnership together, we are working to the same set of values that will translate into better care for our residents.

Professional

• 1. To be responsible for the development, implementation, and delivery of Occupational Therapy, within the context of hand therapy including assessment, treatment planning and implementation of treatment for a patient caseload. This caseload may be a combination of adults or paediatrics. To develop and implement treatment programmes and initiate discharge planning. To be skilled in assessing and interpreting a range of complex factors relating to the patients' condition, including diagnosis and prognosis.
• 2. To communicate hand therapy assessment and treatment plans with patients and carers, dealing sensitively with distressing or emotional circumstances and being realistic about patients' expectations.
• 3. To create an environment that promotes effective communication to patients, carers, and colleagues, being an effective communicator and demonstrating skills in empathy, reassurance, and the ability to motivate others.
• 4. To communicate with patient, carer and colleagues and multidisciplinary team members in relation to patient care, participating in decisions made. This will require communicating complex sensitive diagnostic and prognostic information.
• 5. To keep up-to-date and accurate clinical records on observations and treatment input to patient caseload within the Codes of Practice and professional guidelines for Occupational Therapy or Physiotherapy and, where appropriate, inform others of the patient's clinical status, aims of treatment and ongoing management plan.
• 6. To be responsible for own learning, knowledge, and skills relevant to hand therapy. To be responsible for initiating access to appropriate training to address these in line with continued professional development (CPD).
• 7. To be responsible for keeping up to date with mandatory training.
• 8. To be aware of the current evidence base relating to professional practice and to interpret and apply this specialist knowledge in work.
• 9. To maintain the highest possible clinical and professional standards and to abide by national guidelines and standards relevant to a clinical caseload within hand therapy
• 10. To be aware of changing trends in treatments and the need to keep up to date with clinical developments. To be able to provide the highest standard of specialised care to patients in an effective and efficient way.
• 11. To assess, recommend and where appropriate provide a range of equipment and/or aids for the patient's home and or workplace, to facilitate patients' rehabilitation and discharge from hand therapy.
• 12. To supervise, monitor and ensure that staff are knowledgeable and trained in the effective use of Medical Devices inline with the Medical Devices Policy.
• 13. To provide support and supervision to a range of qualified and unqualified occupational therapy and physiotherapy staff, monitor the standard of treatment; give training and instruction as appropriate. To provide staff with clinical support and advice as necessary to enable the development of their skills.
• 14. To actively participate in clinical education and in-service training programmes and promote learning by encouraging all staff to attend and participate in in-service training, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses, and peer review. To evaluate learning competencies as required.
• 15. To participate in staff appraisals as an appraisee and as an appraiser. To be responsible for complying with the agreed professional development programme and oversee that of supervisees.
• 16. As a supervisor assess and contribute to the performance assessment and appraisal of qualified and non-qualified staff.
• 17. To be responsible for teaching and training student Occupational Therapists to Graduate Level and students from other professions on the role of Occupational Therapy, clinical developments and techniques within the defined clinical area of expertise.
• 18. To actively participate and take a lead in the clinical audit within hand therapy and to participate in multidisciplinary research programmes as appropriate. To undertake the measurement and evaluation of occupational therapy practice through the use of evidence-based practice projects, audit and outcome measures, within hand therapy and / or the multidisciplinary team.
• 19. To be actively involved in the peer support and development groups and occupational therapy specialist sections within hand therapy and other professional development activities, as appropriate.
• 20. To maintain good working relationships with the team, patients, carers, and personnel from other agencies.