Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor for post ICU Rehab

NHS; Torquay; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Torquay is seeking a Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor to support patients during post-ICU rehabilitation. The role involves developing personalized exercise programmes, conducting assessments, and addressing barriers to physical activity among critically ill patients. Ideal candidates will possess a degree in sports science and experience in complex patient groups. This is an opportunity to contribute to meaningful patient outcomes while working within a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in sports science, healthcare practice, exercise science or fitness.
• Experience of delivering exercise to complex patient groups with multiple comorbidities.
• Experience working with clients post-acute hospital admissions.

Responsibilities

• Identify and address barriers to physical activity for patients.
• Develop and supervise personalized exercise training programmes.
• Conduct fitness and physical performance assessments post critical illness.

Skills

Communication skills

Motivational interviewing

Goal setting

Education

Degree level in sports science or exercise science

Specialist Fitness Instructor training

Job description

Go back Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor for post ICU Rehab

The closing date is 01 January 2026

Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor for post Intensive Care Rehabilitation in a well established critical care rehabilitation team at Torbay Hospital.

We are looking for a Physical Activity Specialist/Fitness Instructor to facilitate patients post critical illness to engage in physical activity with a long‑term aim to support transition from hospital to home.

You will provide access to local services which enable safe and effective exercise and/or activity in a supervised environment.

You will also equip patients with the knowledge and skills to become more active despite their post illness pain, global fatigue, reduced concentration and to raise awareness of the benefits of physical activity.

You will encourage patients to make consistent exercise choices and to promote long‑term behaviour change and enable patients to achieve meaningful and sustainable activity as a lifestyle choice alongside their recovery post critical illness.

You will support physical activity to improve tolerance to engage in return‑to‑work strategies post critical illness.

Main duties of the job

This rewarding position in the critical care rehabilitation team is to facilitate patients post critical illness to engage in physical activity with a long‑term aim to support transition from hospital to home, to enable patients to achieve meaningful and sustainable activity and to provide access to local services which enable safe and effective exercise and/or activity in a supervised environment.

About us

Why Work With Us

Torbay Hospital is a District General hospital on the coast of Torquay in Devon. The 10‑bedded intensive care unit has an excellent peer‑rated service and has well established critical care outreach and intensive care rehabilitation teams.

Job responsibilities

Contribute to biopsychosocial screening post step down from ICU and those outpatients in the community

• Identify and address barriers to physical activity. This may include motivational, fatigue, transport/accessibility, financial issues or concerns about safety to exercise in the context of their post ICU admission condition/health problem.
• Develop and supervise personalised physical activity and exercise training programmes, specifically targeted for the management of global weakness, reduced VO₂, general fatigue, muscle atrophy.
• Undertake fitness and physical performance assessments of patients post critical illness who have already been medically screened to be appropriate to engage.
• Attend home visits as required to assist with assessment, goal setting and progress monitoring.

Contribute to patients validation of their experience of recovery post critical illness and to signpost them to appropriate local programmes/services.

• To work with individuals on a one‑to‑one basis, or in a small exercise group, to support them and/or their families to improve their health and wellbeing despite pain, fatigue, weight loss; through making positive changes to their lifestyle. This includes using specific approaches and skills to support behaviour change, along with signposting and supporting access to appropriate external services.
• To assess current and previous activity/exercise levels, the clients willingness to change exercise and lifestyle habits and to assess current activity management patterns. Health and fitness measures may be taken and be repeated on completion of further treatment interventions.
• To work closely with the ICU Rehab MDT. To conduct joint assessments as needed with the appropriate team member (dependent of the need of the patient).
• To complete joint ward visits or home visits with MDT to complete assessments of individual functional needs.

To attend and feedback progress reports of patients needs/rehabilitation to MDT.

To seek support for more complicated cases from MDT (this is encouraged).

To provide 1:1 advice about physical activity to patients for whom a group Health and Wellbeing programme would be appropriate; including addressing psychological and cognitive needs.

To contribute to 1:1 follow up and/or group appointments for patients completing the Post ICU Health & Wellbeing Programme to aim to enhance physical activity status and offer advice to maintain activity levels.

Contribute to gathering and entering data of patient outcomes both during and post ICU Health & Wellbeing exercise programme.

To monitor location of patients discharge and arrange appropriate follow‑up i.e. home visit, telephone call and attendance at medical follow‑up clinics.

Maintain spreadsheets recording patient contacts and outcomes at regular weekly or daily intervals.

Signpost to existing community‑based exercise schemes as appropriate.

Person Specification

Essential and Desirable

• oEducated to degree level in sports science, healthcare practice, exercise science or fitness.
• oSpecialist Fitness Instructor training.
• oExperience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
• oExperience of delivering exercise to complex patient groups with multiple comorbidities.
• oExperience of working with clients post‑acute hospital admissions.
• oExperience of working with clients with physical and/or emotional health problems.
• oExperience in consultation, goal setting and negotiation.
• oExperience working with people with low motivation, anxiety, low self‑esteem or other mental health issues.
• oExperience working with people with chronic conditions.
• oExperience of managing independent 1:1 and group clinics and workloads.
• oExperience of delivering presentations to groups.
• oCBT/motivational interviewing training.
• oMembership of relevant exercise organisations e.g. BACPR, CIMSPA.
• oLevel 4 Management of pulmonary or cardiac rehabilitation.
• Knowledge of physical and clinical assessment tools.
• oKnowledge of fitness testing protocols.
• oEvidence of delivering structured group education to complex groups of cardiac patients regarding lifestyle changes.
• oExperience and understanding of the NHS and health care systems.

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.

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust