Senior Nurse/Senior Physiotherapist

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust; Colchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional NHS health service seeks a band 6 Physiotherapist/Nurse to assess patients with chronic respiratory diseases in their homes and clinics. The role demands community or respiratory experience and offers a structured approach to pulmonary care, including multidisciplinary teamwork. Benefits include a generous pension scheme, NHS discounts, and 27 days of annual leave. This is a unique opportunity to enhance your career while supporting patient-centered care in various community settings.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

NHS discounts

Comprehensive Staff Health and Wellbeing programme

27 days annual leave

Qualifications

• Band 6 or band 5 with community or respiratory experience.
• Familiar with British Thoracic Society guidelines.
• Ability to work autonomously during home visits.

Responsibilities

• Deliver specialist advice to primary care teams.
• Conduct home oxygen assessments.
• Work closely with a multidisciplinary team.

Skills

Community or respiratory experience

Strong engagement skills

Motivational techniques

Problem-solving approach

Ability to work autonomously

Job description

About the Role

Are you a band 6 Physiotherapist/Nurse or band 5 looking for the next step in your career? Do you have community or respiratory experience? This role involves independently assessing patients with chronic respiratory disease in their own homes, community clinics, pulmonary rehabilitation settings and supporting patients within the Virtual Ward.

Responsibilities

• Deliver specialist advice to primary care teams and other generalist clinicians, managing symptoms such as chronic breathlessness, cough, airway secretions and supporting medicines optimisation.
• Conduct home oxygen assessments and review long‑term and ambulatory oxygen prescriptions, including capillary blood gas analysis and interpretation for LTOT and 6‑minute walk tests.
• Work closely with a multidisciplinary team‑including Community Rehab, Speech and Language Therapy, Dietetics, support workers and administrators—and with wider system partners such as GPs, community nursing teams, acute clinicians and consultants—to ensure seamless, patient‑centred respiratory care.
• Complete assessment, care planning, education and interventions to support respiratory management and liaison with other healthcare professionals.
• Manage autonomous practice during home visits and lone work on weekends, with support available from team and division colleagues when needed.
• Participate in pulmonary rehabilitation classes across a range of venues in North East Essex and conduct home visits for assessment/review within your scope of skills.

Qualifications & Skills

• Band 6 or band 5 with community or respiratory experience.
• Strong engagement skills—putting people at ease, motivational techniques and a problem‑solving/asset‑based approach to overcome barriers to pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Good grasp of the principles of pulmonary rehabilitation and familiar with British Thoracic Society guidelines.
• Ability to work autonomously during home visits and as a lone worker on weekends.

Benefits & Working Hours

Work hours are 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, with potential evenings (anticipated to finish before 8:00 PM) to meet local demand. The role offers a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro‑rata), NHS discounts and a comprehensive Staff Health and Wellbeing programme.

Equal Opportunities

The Trust is committed to its staff and to equal opportunities and diversity. Applications are welcomed from all sections of the community.

Additional Information

A driving licence and access to a car are essential due to the community nature of the work. If interested in a secondment, please discuss this with your current line manager prior to submitting your application.

Application Process

Read the attached Job Description and Person Specification. Your application will be judged against these criteria. Successful candidates may be charged for their DBS check. Please provide email addresses for reference details.

Commitment to Development

The Trust offers a range of training and development opportunities and flexible working options to support your career goals.