Lead Specialist Physiotherapist | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Oxford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS teaching trust in Oxford is seeking a highly experienced Lead Specialist Physiotherapist to join their multi-disciplinary team. The ideal candidate will provide clinical leadership and ensure the delivery of compassionate care to patients. Responsibilities include monitoring care standards, developing team skills, and collaborating across professional boundaries. This role is pivotal in enhancing patient experiences and outcomes within the service, emphasizing expert clinical skills and leadership qualities.

Qualifications

• Significant clinical experience in physiotherapy and leadership.
• Expertise in patient care and multi-disciplinary collaboration.
• Strong communication skills and ability to manage teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the team to deliver high-quality care.
• Monitor standards of care and ensure continuity.
• Collaborate with the multi-professional team to develop services.

Skills

Clinical judgement

Leadership

Communication

Patient assessment

Quality management

Education

Relevant physiotherapy degree

Job description

Overview

The Oxford Sleep and Ventilation Service is a tertiary centre of excellence, looking after 20,000 patients on CPAP, and an estimated 1500 patients on non-invasive ventilation, tracheostomy ventilation and/or cough augmentation. We are a multi-disciplinary team made up of Nurses, Physiologists, Physiotherapists and Clinical Support Workers, with Consultant oversight. We are looking for a 0.6WTE Lead Specialist Physiotherapist to join our team and deliver effective, safe and compassionate care. The Lead Physiotherapist will be a highly experienced, knowledgeable clinical leader who provides clinical and professional leadership and support to the ventilation service. Acting as a role model, the Lead Physiotherapist will promote and monitor safe and effective practice. The Lead Physiotherapist will develop the team to ensure considerate and compassionate care is delivered by a competent workforce. The Lead Physiotherapist will work with the Matron and Operational Service Manager to develop processes to enhance the patient experience.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals: the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury. Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence, and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.

In 2023 NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit to the ten core principles. Oxford University Hospitals promotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.

If you want to make a difference with us, come and join our team. Together, we will uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism.

What the Lead Physiotherapist will be able to do

• Use expert knowledge and clinical judgement to lead the Lead team to deliver high quality care.
• Monitor and maintain standards of care and provide this information to the Directorate.
• Ensure the provision of continuity of care.
• Assess and evaluate, with patients and/or carers, the effectiveness of the treatment and care provided and make changes as needed.
• Work across professional, organisational and system boundaries and proactively develop and sustain new partnerships and networks to influence and improve health, outcomes, and healthcare delivery systems.
• Effectively manage human, financial, material and information resources.

KEY RESULT AREAS

Clinical Practice

• Lead at a leadership level of practice, influencing and directing the Lead and multidisciplinary team.
• Work clinically to optimise health and wellbeing, acting as a role model to ensure an individualised, holistic approach to patient care.
• Provide clinical support in relevant patient settings such as outpatients, inpatients and domiciliary areas.
• Apply expert judgement and accept accountability for the standards of care on the Lead.
• Work at an advanced level drawing on a diverse range of knowledge in complex decision making to determine evidence-based therapeutic interventions.
• Use professional judgement in managing complex and unpredictable care events.
• Draw upon an appropriate range of multi-agency and inter-professional resources in practice.
• Promote a high standard of care by initiating and coordinating the assessment, planning, delivery, and evaluation of the holistic needs of patients/families through evidence-based practice following agreed policies, protocols and guidelines.
• Practice a high standard of communication to develop and sustain partnership working with individuals, groups, communities and agencies; utilise evidence-based information through various communication media.
• Maintain adequate patient documentation fulfilling professional requirements for all patients on the unit, setting and monitoring the standard of delivery.
• Ensure effective management of patient journey/flow by developing and delivering good systems for operational performance.
• Ensure all incidents are properly recorded and managed via trust incident system.

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

• Collaborate with the multi-professional team to develop a shared vision of the service.
• Act as a role model and resource in expert clinical evidence-based practice.
• Work with colleagues to develop documentation, pathways, protocols, and guidelines for care; share expertise and disseminate information.
• Lead the development of the team and the service to continuously improve patient care.
• Actively manage the Unit budget and understand budgetary constraints.
• Use change management skills to initiate and implement service and practice development, making best use of resources to improve practice and health outcomes.
• Participate in selection, interviewing, appraisal, and professional development of team members.
• Monitor and ensure all team members maintain clinical competence.
• Ensure annual appraisal and personal development plans for unit staff, with agreed aims and objectives.
• Ensure statutory and mandatory training for unit staff is maintained.
• Maintain involvement in multidisciplinary meetings and local forums to contribute to practice and service development.
• Monitor and manage staff sickness absence or performance in liaison with HR and occupational health as necessary.

EDUCATION & TRAINING

• Maintain and develop personal theoretical knowledge and clinical competence through ongoing self-education and relevant courses.
• Maintain personal professional portfolio and support others with theirs.
• Lead development of professional knowledge and skills within the Unit team.
• Identify educational needs of patients, families, carers, and staff involved in the service.
• Contribute to teaching and support of students within relevant educational programmes.
• Provide an appropriate learning environment, including mentorship, coaching and preceptorship.
• Organise and contribute to relevant educational programmes and in-house study days.

IMPROVING QUALITY & DEVELOPING PRACTICE

• Coordinate and participate in ongoing service review and evaluation, including patient experience and outcomes.
• Evaluate clinical practice against evidence base and clinical effectiveness, including policy and guidance.
• Identify risks and quality gaps, addressing them through governance structures and forums.
• Participate in peer review and seek sound evidence for assurance purposes.
• Ensure annual appraisal and development objectives aligned with local and national needs.
• Promote a working environment that supports continuous learning, evidence-based practice and succession planning.
• Communicate effectively to disseminate practice through conferences and publications.
• Ensure statutory and mandatory training updates and role-specific updates are completed and records maintained.

This advert closes on Wednesday 8 Oct 2025