Highly Specialist Physiotherapist - Critical Care

NHS; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust as a Highly Specialist Physiotherapist in Critical Care, where you’ll lead and manage complex cases within a supportive, innovative team. This dynamic role offers ample opportunities for personal and professional growth with a focus on quality patient care and training new staff. Ideal candidates will possess advanced skills in respiratory and neurological rehabilitation, contributing to high-impact service delivery.

Benefits

CPD available through in-house leadership programs

Support from Clinical Lead and Therapy Services Manager

Positive staff experience emphasis

Qualifications

• Wide-ranging and extensive experience of working within the specialist area.
• Evidence of appropriate post graduate study and professional development.
• Previous NHS experience is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Day-to-day operational management of the CC physiotherapy service.
• Responsibility for a clinical caseload of highly complex patients.
• Ensuring high-quality, evidence-based practice.

Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ability to deliver training

Knowledge of management processes

Experience in evaluating research

Extensive experience in specialist area

Ability to handle and move complex patients

Education

BSc Physiotherapy or equivalent

HCPC registration

Job description

Go back Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts

Highly Specialist Physiotherapist - Critical Care

The closing date is 18 June 2025

We are pleased to advertise for an innovative, passionate and dynamic Band 7 Highly Specialist Physiotherapist for Critical Care, based at City Hospital. The post requires a compassionate leader with a specialist interest in delivering high-quality care to improve quality of life for critical illness survivors and their families.

The City Hospital has a 17 bedded general CC unit, the clinical caseload is varied and challenging due to patient complexity and variety. The unit also receives transfers from QMC (our Major Trauma Centre) site, requiring close liaison with our cross-campus colleagues. The ideal candidate will have a broad range of advanced respiratory and rehabilitation skills. Additionally, experience in neurological rehabilitation would be beneficial.

Critical Care has a strong multiprofessional team (MPT) ethos, including a weekly long-term patient ward round and fortnightly follow up clinic. We also have a weekly physiotherapy led post-ICU rehabilitation class. The CC physiotherapy team is nested in a wider acute inpatients team, (surgery and cardiothoracics) some clinical cover is required at times.

We are a friendly and welcoming team, with an emphasis on personal development and positive staff experience. Support from the CC Clinical Lead and Therapy Services Manager through supervision, informal mentoring and appraisal is provided. CPD is available through NUH's in-house leadership programmes, plus external opportunities where appropriate.

Main duties of the job

Please refer to job description and person specification for full details of the job. Core responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Responsibility for the day-to-day operational management of the CC physiotherapy service at City Hospital and assist with the operational management of the wider acute inpatient team.
• Responsibility for a clinical caseload of highly complex patients as an autonomous practitioner for CC.
• Using expertise and clinical reasoning skills to provide specialist support and advice to CC.
• Ensuring high quality, evidenced based practice, service development and education underpin the service delivery.
• Providing a supportive and learning environment for team members under your direct management, including undertaking annual appraisals and managing health and wellbeing.
• Contributing to the education and teaching of students, preceptees and therapy support workers, including training new staff for the weekend and respiratory roster when required.
• Leading and participating in the weekend respiratory service at NUH, City Hospital which incorporates Respiratory Medicine, Cystic Fibrosis Unit, Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, General Surgery & Critical Care.
• Supporting the management of and participation in late shifts, weekend and out of hours service alongside the wider inpatient team.
• Representing physiotherapy in the East Midlands Critical Care Network.
• Ensuring NUH values and behaviours are embedded in everyday practice.

About us

With over 19,000 staff, we are one of the biggest employers in the city with a central role in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local population. We play a leading role in research, education and innovation.

Come and join our wonderful team at NUH. We are big believers in diversity and welcome new ideas to help develop our team in order to deliver world class healthcare to the vast patient populations we serve. With endless personal development opportunities available, at NUH we will endeavour to turn your job into a career!

The Physiotherapy service is part of the Therapies, Outpatients and Phlebotomy Services (TOPS) directorate, within the Specialist Clinical Support Care Group. We have a diverse workforce of AHPs and support staff, employing over 800 staff, working together to deliver the high quality care we aspire to. Our HCPC registered AHP professionals comprise of physiotherapists, dietitians, occupational therapists, orthotists, prosthetists and speech and language therapists. We have a Chief AHP to lead us on our strategic direction. There are also Practice Development Therapists to support career development for all.

We particularly welcome applications from people who identify as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, or Disabled, as we are striving to be better represented at NUH.

Job responsibilities

Permanent 18.75 hours Band 7 Highly Specialist Physiotherapist post

Core hours are worked Monday to Friday, 8:00 16:00

Additional duties will include participation in on call and weekend working as well as a late shift (13:00-21.00). These are rostered approximately 1-2 per month but many increase depending on clinical need.

Please familiarise yourself with the attached Job Description and Personal Specification for detail specific to this post.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• BSc Physiotherapy or equivalent
• HCPC registration
• Evidence of appropriate post graduate study and professional development within specialist area

Skills and Experience

• Wide ranging and extensive experience of working within specialist area
• Knowledge of management processes to be able to provide first line management
• Able to deliver training and educate individuals, team and wider MDT
• Experience in evaluating current research and making recommendations for change in practice, and implementing these changes
• Previous NHS experience
• Neurological rehabilitation

Communication and relationship skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Able to use a range of communication skills with patients to progress treatment plans effectively
• Able to understand team dynamics and adapt approach to achieve the best outcome for patients
• Able to communicate complex patient-related information to ensure collaborative MDT working

Analytical and judgement skills

• Able to assess complex information, formulate a diagnosis and plan patient management using clinical reasoning skills and a range of treatment options
• Able to make decisions about the allocation of a caseload to a team of staff
• Lead on the development of improvements in service delivery and clinical practice using evidence based practice to recommend changes

Planning and organisational skills

• Able to plan the delivery of a service for a specialist area where there is variable capacity and fluctuating demand
• Able to organise and plan the activity of staff and self

Physical skills

• Able to handle and move complex patients using a way that promotes rehabilitation and is safe
• Able to move and use medical devices

Other requirements

• Able to undertake out of hours duties including on-call, weekends and bank holidays
• Able to travel cross campus and beyond the trust as needed

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.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trusts