Highly Specialist Outpatients Occupational Therapist

Royal Marsden; Sutton; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in Sutton and Chelsea is seeking a Highly Specialist Outpatients Occupational Therapist (Band 7). You will lead the outpatient OT service across both sites, developing assessment pathways, prioritisation criteria and evidence-based practice for cancer care.

The role requires advanced oncology experience, leadership, and the ability to supervise junior staff, while supporting patient self-management and ongoing service development.

Qualifications

• Qualified OT with HCPC registration and degree.
• Experience in oncology and palliative care.
• Experience in supervision and leadership roles.
• Ability to lead outpatient OT services and education.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Outpatient OT service across Sutton and Chelsea.
• Establish prioritisation, assessments and outcome measures.
• Coordinate appointments, referrals and supervise juniors.
• Provide specialist OT input for cancer rehabilitation and self-management.

Skills

Autonomous working

Advanced clinical reasoning

Communication skills

Educational skills

Supervisory skills

Education

Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy

HCPC registration / State Registration

Post-grad study oncology/palliative care

Approved fieldwork supervisor course

Membership of clinical interest group in OT

Accredited wheelchair course

Accredited splinting and hand therapy course

Tools

Microsoft Office

Outlook

Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

Highly Specialist Outpatients Occupational Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 7

Main area Occupational Therapy Grade NHS AfC: Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 282-163681

Employer The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site The Royal Marsden Town Chelsea & Sutton Salary £58,133 - £65,261 pro rata per annum including inner London HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 27/10/2026 23:59

Job overview

Band 7 Outpatients Occupational Therapist, working across both the Sutton and Chelsea sites
37.5 hours per week.

Award-Winning Patient Care
We’re world-renowned for our research and treatment of cancer and we have been awarded the Charter Mark for our commitment to excellence in patient care.

What can we provide for you?
The opportunity to work within the largest cancer centre in Europe and to build on your existing skills and experience. You should have evidence of experience in oncology and palliative care. The hospital encourages professional and personal development through an in-service education programme and support for study leave.

How do we work?
We take a genuinely multiprofessional approach to the rehabilitation of patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.

This post is dedicated to the running and ongoing development of the outpatient occupational therapy service. The post holder will be pivotal in the development of the service as well as the key professional in providing Occupational Therapy input for outpatients with deficits resulting from cancer and its treatment.

The Royal Marsden Foundation NHS Trust is the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe with an international reputation for high quality patient care, research & development and education. We are one of the first Foundation Trusts in the UK.

To make an informal enquiry, please contact Lauren Blackburn, Operational Lead OT, on 020 8661 3090

Main duties of the job

1.1. Cancer care is a rapidly developing area of expertise within Occupational Therapy.

1.2. This Band 7 Occupational Therapist will develop and lead the Occupational Therapy Outpatient service across both sites of the Trust.

1.3. They will develop a structure for the outpatient service, including, but not limited to: establishing prioritisation criteria, defining and implementing assessments and outcome measures applicable to each referral reason, standardising evidence-based practice across both sites, defining pathways for delivery of Occupational Therapy input, reporting on activity and collecting relevant data for the service, and developing patient resources for self-management.

1.4. They will be the primary point of contact for co-ordinating appointments, treating, managing and prioritising outpatient referrals, assessing patients, providing occupational therapy input, including the use of supported self-management strategies and onward referrals.

Working for our organisation

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust is a world-leading cancer centre. Our role is to offer our patients the best cancer care available anywhere in the world, and to continue to make a global contribution to finding better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer. We employ over 4,500 staff in a diverse range of careers including nursing, medical, science, radiography, pharmacy, occupational therapy, finance and administrative services. We have two hospitals – one in Chelsea, London, and one in Sutton, Surrey – as well as a Medical Daycare Unit in Kingston Hospital.

At The Royal Marsden, we deal with cancer every day, so we understand how valuable life is. When people entrust their lives to us, they have the right to demand the very best. That's why the pursuit of excellence lies at the heart of everything we do.

At the heart of the hospital is our dedicated team. We offer a stimulating and dynamic working environment, a wide range of staff benefits, learning and development opportunities and clear career pathways. There are opportunities to work flexibly across a range of areas and specialities and we welcome flexible working requests from point of hire to support employees work life balance. We are looking for employees who aspire to excellence, share our values and can play a crucial role in our on-going achievements.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification:

Undertake and oversee all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner.

2.1. The Band 7 Occupational Therapist is responsible for the provision of a high quality and evidence-based service. The post holder is a skilled practitioner, who will act as a source of knowledge and expertise for patients, families and other members of the health care team. The post holder takes a lead role in planning, co-ordinating, delivering and evaluating the occupational therapy service within areas of advanced clinical practice.

2.2. Provide a holistic assessment of patients with cancer. These patients may present with complex physical, emotional and psychological needs as a result of their cancer diagnosis and its treatment with surgery, radiotherapy, protons and systemic anti-cancer therapy.

2.3. Provide a holistic therapeutic assessment of patients with cancer symptoms as a result of tumour activity, metastatic disease or treatment. These patients may present with complex physical, emotional and psychological needs as a result of their cancer diagnosis and its treatment with surgery, radiotherapy, protons and systemic anti-cancer therapy.
2.4. Work with the multidisciplinary team to provide Occupational Therapy assessment and treatment of patients with complex rehabilitation needs. Act as a source of knowledge and give support and guidance where necessary to progress patients and plan timely onward referral.
2.5. Develop and deliver individualised treatment programmes and make appropriate referrals to other disciplines.
2.6. Provide advice, support and supervision for designated junior Occupational Therapists. Supervision with junior members of staff takes the form of formal training, reflective practice and clinical reasoning.
2.7. To be a source of knowledge and expertise for patients, relatives and colleagues of all disciplines both within the Trust, locally and nationally. The post holder works closely with all members of the multi-disciplinary team to provide specialist input to a planned programme of co-ordinated care.
2.8. The band 7 Occupational Therapist has developed an advanced area of clinical practise within Occupational Therapy and oncology and palliative care. The post holder has a responsibility to share best practise, answer queries and provide education within this specialist area.
2.9. Undertake evidence-based audit and research projects in conjunction with colleagues to further clinical practice and service development.
2.10. Contribute to service development by identifying and/or implementing specific changes to practice, in conjunction with the rehabilitation team.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• Diploma/Degree in Occupational Therapy
• State Registration with Healthcare Professions Council (HCPC) for Occupational Therapy.
• Evidence of experience in clinical supervision and appraisal.
• Evidence of experience in leadership, project management, audit, outcome measurement and clinical governance.
• Evidence of experience in presentation and teaching skills.
• Post-grad study days/courses in oncology/palliative care.
• Approved fieldwork supervisor course.
• Membership of a clinical interest group in occupational therapy
• Accredited wheelchair course.
• Accredited splinting and hand therapy course.

Experience

• Significant post graduate clinical experience with a minimum of two years’ experience in oncology and palliative care.
• Evidence of experience in clinical supervision and appraisal.
• Evidence of experience in leadership, project management, audit, outcomes measurement and clinical governance.
• Evidence of experience in presentation and teaching skills.

Skills Abilities/knowledge

• Advanced knowledge of functional assessment and treatment techniques for oncology and palliative care patients, including physical, cognitive, psychosocial functional assessments and treatment, as well as specific symptom and lifestyle management techniques (e.g. relaxation, anxiety, breathlessness and fatigue management).
• Risk assessment: Ability to carry out risk assessments concerning patients and staff safety, including Manual Handling.
• Ability to assess risks associated with lone working, take responsibility for reporting to colleagues and ensuring self and patient are safe at all times.
• Ability to assess potential risks with regard to patients’ discharge from hospital.
• Expertise in group dynamics, planning, facilitating, running and evaluating therapeutic groups.
• Advanced clinical reasoning as well as analytical and creative problems solving skills.
• Communication skills: Advanced communication skills with particular ability to work with complex/sensitive situations with patients, carers, OT colleagues and the wider MDT; Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills as required in an oncology and palliative care setting; Ability to deal with imparting bad news.
• Written and documentation skills: Ability to produce professional and accurate notes and records including management reports, service development proposals, multi-professional care plans, letters, assessments for hospital and external agencies.
• Reflective Skills: Ability to reflect on and make positive changes to own and departmental clinical practices.
• Team skills: Ability to facilitate supportive team working to maintain efficacy, efficiency and morale.
• Autonomous working: Ability to work in a highly motivated self-directed manner on clinical and departmental activities.
• Organisational skills: Ability to prioritise workload and organise time effectively to manage multiple priorities.
• Supervisory skills: Ability to fulfil supervisory and mentor role for junior staff and undergraduate students
• Educational skills: Ability to teach both patients and carers in areas relating to rehabilitation; Proven ability to prepare and deliver presentations and education sessions to health care colleagues and members of public.
• IT skills: Ability to enter data, prepare reports, formal written documentation and multi-media presentations. Confident in the use of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Power Point and Excel.
• NHS/Trust: Sound understanding of current NHS and the Trust’s issues

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment. Please ensure your information is accurate to avoid errors with processing your application

All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.

Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff

At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease.

The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.

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.