Respiratory health care assistant | Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; Greater London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Greater London is seeking a motivated individual to assist respiratory physiotherapists with patients who have long-term respiratory conditions. The role involves conducting assessments, managing equipment, and delivering educational components of pulmonary rehabilitation. The ideal candidate will have a full driving license and good communication skills to effectively work with patients across a community setting, supporting their independence and health promotion.

Qualifications

• Motivated individual with ability to assist respiratory physiotherapists.
• Capability to maintain and update patient databases.
• Experience in patient education and health promotion.

Responsibilities

• Assist respiratory physiotherapist with patient screening for rehabilitation.
• Perform initial assessments and exercise tolerance tests.
• Maintain stock of respiratory equipment and follow policies.
• Deliver patient education and follow up on rehabilitation programs.
• Assess and order equipment for patient independence.

Skills

Full driving license

Communication skills

Basic clinical reasoning skills

Manual assessment techniques

Job description

Overview

This is an exciting role for a motivated individual to work with people who have long term respiratory conditions such as COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis, ILD within the community setting. We work alongside patients to self manage their condition through home visits, clinic appointments, pulmonary rehabilitation and home oxygen service.

Requirements

• Full driving license and access to a car for work.

Responsibilities

• Assist the respiratory physiotherapist in screening the patients for pulmonary rehabilitation which will include communication via telephone, letters, email.
• Assist with performing initial assessments including shuttle walk test/six‑minute walk test or any other exercise tolerance tests as appropriate in the community and patients home.
• Assist the patients to complete outcome measures pre and post course, recording observations and maintaining and updating the database.
• Maintain stock of all respiratory equipment alongside following appropriate policies in ordering equipment (mobility aids, nebulisers).
• Continue the exercise/respiratory program prescribed by the respiratory physiotherapist at the patients home and follow-up classes in the community setting.
• Assist the respiratory physiotherapist to organise and deliver the educational component of pulmonary rehabilitation involving the multi‑disciplinary team.
• Assist the wider respiratory team in delivering patient‑centred care in clinic or at the patient’s home.
• Assess and where appropriate order equipment to assist the patient to carry out activities of daily living to maintain independence.
• Under the guidance of the responsible physiotherapist/nurse, delegating and supervising the caseload.
• Act professionally and be responsible for all aspects of own work within own scope of practice.
• Assess patients with simple predictable conditions using basic clinical reasoning skills and manual assessment techniques to provide an appropriate treatment plan.
• Deliver respiratory treatments formulated by a pathway or protocol or prescribed by a qualified member of staff. These could be individual or group sessions.
• Provide patient education and health promotion information on an individual basis or to a group e.g. falls prevention.
• Make minor alterations to treatment protocols, within agreed parameters.
• Be responsible within own scope of practice for the communication of aims of treatment, progress and discharge plans to patients, their carers and other professionals.
• Gain valid informed consent and work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• Use a range of verbal and non‑verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients and carers to progress rehabilitation and treatment programmes. This will include patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating. For example patients may be dysphasic, deaf or blind, or who may be unable to accept diagnosis.

This advert closes on Monday 29 Dec 2025.