Occupational Therapist

North Bristol NHS; Bristol; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to co-lead a specialist inpatient team at Southmead Hospital. The role involves advanced clinical leadership, managing caseloads, and providing specialist occupational therapy services within Trauma & Orthopaedics. The successful candidate will also supervise other therapists, contribute to service development, and provide training opportunities. This is an exciting chance to work within a dynamic team, addressing complex patient needs with a supportive environment.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Well-being programme

Award schemes for excellence

Qualifications

• Must be an autonomous and highly skilled clinician with experience in Occupational Therapy.
• Ability to manage a caseload of adult patients with complex needs.
• Strong leadership skills to supervise and develop team members.

Responsibilities

• Provide a highly specialist Occupational Therapy service within Trauma & Orthopaedics.
• Manage operational aspects of the Occupational Therapy team.
• Deliver training and supervision to healthcare professionals and students.

Skills

Advanced clinical reasoning

Critical thinking

Clinical leadership

Autonomous clinical practice

Education

Master's degree in Occupational Therapy

Job description

Overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic Occupational Therapist to co‑lead our specialist inpatient team providing a service to Trauma & Orthopaedics. The role is based at Southmead Hospital and will encompass major trauma and other acute orthopaedic injuries.

This advert may close early, if we have received a sufficient amount of applications. Therefore you are highly advised to apply as soon as possible if you are interested in this position.

You will be sharing the role of team lead, alongside another established Band 7 colleague, within the MSK pathway.

The orthopaedic trauma service deals with unplanned orthopaedic needs and accepts a wide range of emergencies from local fractures to complex polytrauma. We are one of two designated Major Trauma Centres in South West England and provide adult services for the Severn region.

The caseload is interesting and challenging with provision of early assessment and intervention to address occupational needs, prevention of complications and progression from hospital to home. This requires a range of therapeutic skills and knowledge.

There is close team working and links within the network and wider system to address needs at all stages of the clinical pathway, with occupational therapy playing a crucial role.

The role will support the MSK pathway lead to deliver an occupational therapy service within the specialty. This includes day to day operational management of the team and responsibility for a specialist clinical caseload within inpatient trauma & orthopaedics.

Responsibilities

• Provide and develop a highly specialist Occupational Therapy service to patients within specialty area, providing advanced clinical leadership and acting as a clinical advisor for the specialty to occupational therapists working in North Bristol NHS Trust.
• Work as an autonomous and highly skilled clinician, without supervision, and be accountable for own professional actions managing a caseload of adult patients with complex needs, using advanced clinical reasoning, critical thinking, evidence‑based principles, and best practice to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions.
• Provide leadership and line management for a specialist occupational therapy service to adult patients, ensuring service provision is prioritised across the specialty team and service delivery is effective within resources available.
• Ensure staff in the team are supervised and developed, and deal with staffing issues as they arise.
• Provide specialist input, strong professional leadership, and direction to the specialty team in the planning, co‑ordination and evaluation of the occupational therapy service and assist the occupational therapy manager in the strategic development of the service.
• Provide training and education to other health care professionals.
• Contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust wide Occupational Therapy service, leading initiatives related to service development such as audit, research, and training.
• Provide highly specialist clinical and service development advice, and act as a specialist resource within the occupational therapy service.
• Contribute to undergraduate occupational therapy education and regularly supervise students on practice placement.
• Provide specialist input and professional leadership in service development projects within specialty, representing the Occupational Therapy service.

Benefits

• North Bristol NHS Trust is a great place to work. Situated in the vibrant city of Bristol is our award‑winning building opened in 2014, offering exceptional facilities for patients and staff. We are a large teaching Trust that provides multiple specialties including regional services for neurosciences, major trauma, orthopaedics and surgery (major arterial centre and burns & plastics).
• There is both peer and senior support within the pathway and wider service. Various professional development opportunities and training courses are available, with quality improvement projects and service development ideas actively encouraged.
• Additional benefits include award schemes for excellence, staff restaurants, green spaces and an extensive well‑being programme.
• To understand more about Occupational Therapy at NBT, click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9hiZdsBZ20to watch our video.

Closing date

This advert closes on Wednesday 26 Nov 2025