Lead Complementary Therapist

NHS; Basingstoke; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Basingstoke is hiring a Lead Complementary Therapist to provide and oversee complementary therapies in cancer services. The role involves collaboration within a multi-disciplinary team and ensuring high standards of patient care. Ideal candidates will have professional qualifications in therapies such as aromatherapy and reflexology, along with leadership experience in a hospital or hospice setting. This position offers the opportunity to impact patient well-being substantially.

Qualifications

• Experience of working within a hospital or hospice setting.
• Experience of providing complementary therapies within a cancer services setting.
• Good understanding of research and evidence-based practice in complementary therapies.

Responsibilities

• Provide strong and effective leadership.
• Deliver a safe and efficient patient referral system.
• Manage complementary therapists, providing regular supervision.

Skills

Effective written and verbal communication skills

Ability to work with distressed individuals

Excellent interpersonal skills

Knowledge of local cancer support groups

Education

Professional qualification in Aromatherapy

Professional qualification in Reflexology

Management or leadership qualification

Job description

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Lead Complementary Therapist

The closing date is 26 November 2025

As the Lead Complementary Therapist for cancer services at HHFT, you will provide expert knowledge and skills around suitable, effective and safe complementary therapies to the wider cancer team and patients. You will be required to lead and support a team of honorary and substantive complementary therapists and act as a core member of the multi-disciplinary oncology team. As a practicing therapist, you will be directly responsible for providing a range of complementary therapies to HHFT cancer patients.

You will work closely with the operational service manager for oncology and the Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist for Personalised Care to grow and develop the complementary therapy service within the Wellbeing and Supportive Care Service.

You will maintain excellent standards and support the development of future service provision.

Main duties of the job

• Provide strong and effective leadership.
• Deliver a safe, efficient and effective patient referral system with assessment and allocation of therapeutic treatments.
• Manage complementary therapists, providing regular supervision and leadership.
• Ensure that the team achieve/maintain essential qualifications and relevant registrations.
• Proactively pursue service development and improvement.
• Create/update relevant complementary therapy SOP in line with Trust policies.
• Provide at least two complementary therapies, which must include aromatherapy massage and reflexology.
• Work closely with clinical teams to promote and develop integrated complementary therapy within cancer services.
• Keep concise accurate records in line with data protection requirements and HHFT record keeping policies and procedures.
• Initiate and chair peer-supervision meetings.
• Act as a role model demonstrating exceptional high standards of care and providing leadership.
• Ensure safe and efficient management, supply and storage of resources.
• Promote the philosophy of personalising care, co-creating it with people affected by cancer.
• Collate and record quantitative data to provide evidence of productivity, outcomes and quality.
• Collect and collate patient feedback through surveys and feedback forms.
• Educate patients on complementary therapy techniques to promote self‑management.
• Identify and respond to changes in patients' condition and report to nursing/medical team for review as required.

About us

Our vision is to provide outstanding care for every patient. Patient care is at the heart of what we do at our three sites: Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and Andover War Memorial Hospital. Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides medical and surgical services to a population of approximately 600,000 people across Hampshire and parts of West Berkshire.

Our cultural ambition is to have a culture that places people at the heart of all we do, where we all belong, and where learning, improvement and excellence thrive.

We provide specialist services to people across the UK and internationally. We are one of only two centres in the UK treating pseudomyxoma peritonei (a rare form of abdominal cancer) and we are leaders in the field of tertiary liver cancer and colorectal cancer.

The trust employs more than 9,000 staff and has a turnover of over £500 million a year. As a Foundation Trust, we are directly accountable to our members through the governors. The Council of Governors represent the interests of their constituencies and influence the future plans of the Foundation Trust.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional qualification in at least two of the following therapies: Aromatherapy, Massage Therapy, Reflexology, Indian Head Massage (i.e., FHT (Federation of Holistic Therapists), CNHC (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council) and IFPA (International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists)).
• Evidence of continued professional development in area of specified practice.
• Management or leadership qualification.

Experience

• Experience of working within a hospital or hospice setting.
• Experience of providing complementary therapies within a cancer services setting.
• Good understanding of research and evidence based practice in regards to complementary therapies.
• Experience of working within an MDT environment, being an active participant in supporting patient care.
• Experience of mentoring, supervision and providing professional leadership.
• Experience in developing a new complementary therapies service in an NHS environment.
• Understanding of recruitment practice and employment law.
• Knowledge of NHS medical terminology.

Skills

• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work with distressed individuals/in difficult circumstances.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of local cancer support groups and networks.

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.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital