Senior Occupational Therapist - Prevention of Deconditioning

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; England; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the United Kingdom is seeking an Occupational Therapist to join their Prevention of Deconditioning Team. This role focuses on supporting patients with reconditioning and rehabilitation in acute hospital wards. Responsibilities include conducting complex assessments, developing treatment plans, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. The ideal candidate will have a degree in Occupational Therapy and strong clinical skills. The position offers opportunities for innovation and professional development while contributing to improved patient outcomes.

Benefits

Access to training and development programs

State-of-the-art facilities

Commitment to staff wellbeing

Qualifications

• Must possess a degree in Occupational Therapy and be registered with a professional body.
• Demonstrated ability to complete complex patient assessments.
• Experience in developing individual treatment programmes based on evidence-based practice.

Responsibilities

• Support patients through reconditioning and rehabilitation goals.
• Work closely with nursing, therapy, and medical teams to enhance patient care.
• Lead projects aimed at preventing deconditioning through innovative practices.

Skills

Clinical reasoning

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Patient assessment

Autonomy in decision-making

Education

Degree in Occupational Therapy

Tools

Therapy Assessment Suite

Job description

A Vacancy at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

This pioneering AHP role focuses on preventing deconditioning in acute hospital wards. Around 30% of older inpatients experience hospital‑associated deconditioning, affecting physical function, cognition, independence, and wellbeing, and increasing length of stay, falls risk, and care needs.

As part of Bedford Hospital’s Prevention of Deconditioning Team, the post-holder supports patients through reconditioning, promoting early mobilisation, meaningful activity, and patient‑centred care to maintain or restore function and confidence.

Collaboration is central: working closely with nursing, therapy, and medical teams, providing education and practical support to embed prevention into everyday practice and enhance staff capability.

The role also leads innovative projects, including the PIVOT study using volunteers for ward exercise programmes, Dance for Health to improve activity and wellbeing, and the planned Bedford Health Radio Exercise project, providing weekly exercise guidance for patients in hospital and at home.

Through service development, research, and auditing, the role drives sustainable improvements in patient outcomes and multidisciplinary practice.

The Prevention of Deconditioning Team is currently working on targeted wards at Bedford Hospital South Wing. The aim of the service is to gather data and understand how and why patients are deconditioning, and to develop projects that address the culture around immobility and inactivity in a hospital setting.

As an Occupational Therapist within this team, you will be responsible for completing complex assessments to support patients’ ongoing reconditioning and rehabilitation goals, as well as supporting Band 5 staff within the hospital and assisting with the use of our new Therapy Assessment Suite. You will also bring valuable professional insights to the role; to increase the robustness of the service.

You will need to be able to work autonomously in some situations, as the role may require you to work across multiple ward areas without constant direct supervision. You will also be required to support ward teams with their clinical caseloads as needed for ongoing rehabilitation and, in some instances, to assist with patient discharges.

You will be expected to build effective relationships with colleagues from different areas of the MDT to help reduce the impact of deconditioning in our hospitals. There will be opportunities to be involved in delivering training and education as part of a broader educational initiative throughout the hospital and to external partners where required.

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics‑led Maternity and Paediatrics.

You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career.

We have state‑of‑the‑art facilities placing us at the heart of cutting edge health care. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology available.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. Please ensure that you make your application as soon as possible.

All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering their first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required.

Please review all documents attached to this advert to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

• To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspects of your work including management of patient caseloads.
• Formulate and develop individual treatment programmes underpinned by sound knowledge of evidence‑based practice and using a range of treatment options.
• Use clinical reasoning skills and evaluate outcomes of treatments to continually reassess and develop treatment programmes.
• Establish an accurate prognosis and recommend best course of treatments in addition to developing comprehensive treatment and discharge plans.
• Use a large range of verbal and non‑verbal communication tools to communicate with patients to progress and gain participation with rehabilitation treatment programmes. This will include patients who have difficulties in understanding and communicating.
• To be responsible for management of clinical risk of your own caseload.
• To work within Trust and Royal College of Occupational Therapy (RCOT) guidelines, have a good working knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and other working practices in liaison with Senior Occupational Therapists.
• To be responsible for the safe and competent use of all equipment.
• To be responsible for maintaining own competencies through CPD activities.
• To be responsible for teaching student occupational therapists to graduate level on knowledge and skills within your department.

This advert closes on Friday 30 Jan 2026