Specialty Physiotherapist - Cancer Surgery, Renal & Transplant

Integrated Care System; Oxford; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

An Integrated Care System seeks a full-time Band 6 Specialty Physiotherapist specializing in Cancer Surgery, Renal & Transplant at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. This role offers a unique opportunity to deliver high-quality care in oncology and transplant services while working with diverse clinical teams. The successful candidate will supervise junior staff, participate in quality improvements, and engage in continuous professional development, contributing to a dynamic patient care environment.

Qualifications

• Broad range of experience at Band 5 level including core areas such as respiratory and orthopaedics.
• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Able to assess acutely deteriorating respiratory patients.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality physiotherapy services to oncology, renal, and surgery patients.
• Collaboratively assess, goal plan, and treat patients to maximize independence and quality of life.
• Supervise and teach recently qualified physiotherapists and allied health professionals.

Skills

Communication

Manual Therapy Techniques

Patient Assessment

Education

Degree in Physiotherapy

Registered with the Health & Care Professions Council

Job description

Go back Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Specialty Physiotherapist - Cancer Surgery, Renal & Transplant

The closing date is 05 August 2025

We are pleased to be recruiting for a full time Band 6 Physiotherapist (37.5 hours per week) to join our Physiotherapy Team at the Churchill Hospital.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop expertise within the highly specialised areas of oncology, cancer surgery, and renal and transplant care. Our team delivers care across multiple surgical wards including cancer and transplant, while also providing therapy services to renal, oncology and haematology patients. The variety of cases makes this an ideal role for those seeking diverse, challenging clinical experience.

Part of Oxford University Hospitals, The Churchill Hospital is a centre of excellence for cancer and haematology services, renal care, and transplant medicine.

You will work closely with specialist multidisciplinary teams and support patients undergoing specialist procedures, such as intestinal transplants.

You will deliver physiotherapy to patients who have undergone major abdominal surgery, transplant procedures and specialist head and neck cancer operations, as well as non-surgical cancer treatments. You will provide supervision to junior colleagues and physiotherapy students, contributing to their professional development, while building your own leadership skills.

This position offers exceptional career development opportunities for experienced Band 5 Physiotherapists ready to progress into specialist practice, as well as Band 6 Physiotherapists seeking to specialise in this rewarding area.

Main duties of the job

To provide high quality, safe and effective physiotherapy services to oncology, renal and surgery patients, as part of a cohesive multi-professional team.

To work collaboratively with patients and their carers to effectively assess, goal plan and treat oncology, renal and surgery patients and strive to maximise their independence and quality of life.

To supervise and teach recently qualified physiotherapists, support workers physiotherapy students

To actively participate in quality improvement, clinical audit and research projects

To take an active part in the team's weekend service to maximise the access and delivery of physiotherapy intervention across 7 days.

To participate in the overnight on-call rota.

About us

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.

We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence, and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.

In 2023NHS England launched its first sexual safety charter, and our Trust proudly signed it. We pledge zero tolerance for inappropriate sexual behaviour and commit to the ten core principles

Oxford University Hospitals promotes a safe, respectful hiring environment.

If you want to make a difference with us, come and join our team. Together, we will uphold the highest standards of care and professionalism.

Job responsibilities

Communication

1. To consistently deploy effective communication and engagement skills enabling effective working relationships with all members of the multi-professional team.

2. To effectively communicate with patients and their carers/family members, including the sensitive management of complex or contentious issues.

3. To communicate effectively with patients suffering from conditions that may lead to psychological distress including anxiety, depression, and aggressive behaviour

4. To overcome barriers to effective communication, such as those caused by pathological impairment or language differences, by deploying effective mitigating strategies.

5. To engage and build relationships with external agencies and providers to enhance patient care continuity and outcomes.

6. To be able to motivate and positively influence others through effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

7. Be able to write complex reports accurately describing patients clinical status and ensuring that the information provided aids effective continuing care and clinical management.

Clinical

• To enact the professional and legal responsibilities for all aspects of the post-holders own clinical practice.
• To carry out comprehensive assessments of patients following hospital admission and surgery, including those with complex presentations, and form treatment and rehabilitation plans in partnership with the patient and their carers/family.
• To interpret and analyse multiple sources of clinical information to form accurate physiotherapy diagnoses in renal, cancer and post operative patients; drawing on guidance from senior physiotherapists when required.
• To formulate and deliver comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation and discharge plans, based on clinical skills, evidence-based practice, and patient preferences.
• To evaluate patient progress against agreed treatment goals and be able to modify plans accordingly.
• To determine a patients mental capacity to understand and to gain informed consent for treatment. To work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent and are deprived of their liberty.
• To co-ordinate intervention where there is a need to collaborate across multiple disciplines.
• To maintain accurate written records using an electronic patient record system and maintain fidelity to professional standards.
• To determine and mitigate for risk of patient and staff harm using the agreed risk assessment frameworks and the Trusts manual handling policy.
• To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including manual therapy techniques and therapeutic handling
• To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients
• To represent physiotherapy and/or individual patients at multi disciplinary team meetings, to ensure delivery of co-ordinated care.
• To be an integral part of the teams weekend service provision and participate in the overnight physiotherapy on-call service.

To enact the professional and legal responsibilities for all aspects of the post-holders own clinical practice.

To carry out comprehensive assessments of patients following hospital admission and surgery, including those with complex presentations, and form treatment and rehabilitation plans in partnership with the patient and their carers/family.

To interpret and analyse multiple sources of clinical information to form accurate physiotherapy diagnoses in renal, cancer and post operative patients; drawing on guidance from senior physiotherapists when required.

To formulate and deliver comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation and discharge plans, based on clinical skills, evidence-based practice, and patient preferences.

To evaluate patient progress against agreed treatment goals and be able to modify plans accordingly.

To determine a patients mental capacity to understand and to gain informed consent for treatment. To work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent and are deprived of their liberty.

To co-ordinate intervention where there is a need to collaborate across multiple disciplines.

To maintain accurate written records using an electronic patient record system and maintain fidelity to professional standards.

To determine and mitigate for risk of patient and staff harm using the agreed risk assessment frameworks and the Trusts manual handling policy.

To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including manual therapy techniques and therapeutic handling

To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients

To represent physiotherapy and/or individual patients at multi disciplinary team meetings, to ensure delivery of co-ordinated care.

To be an integral part of the teams weekend service provision and participate in the overnight physiotherapy on-call service.

1. To be responsible for the competent use and maintenance of rehabilitation equipment and support others in the effective and safe use of this equipment.

2. To assist in the supervision, teaching and appraisal of junior staff and assistants.

3. To undertake delegated tasks and roles from the team lead and be able to deputise for them on occasions.

4. To effectively plan and organise own time, patient caseload, meetings, training and be able to adjust plans as required according to staffing levels and unpredictable factors.

5. To assist in the planning of junior staff, students and assistant timetables and deputise for senior staff in organisational duties.

Education and training

1. To organise and contribute to the teams training and post-registration education programme.

2. To contribute to the education of multidisciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.

3. To be responsible for individual undergraduate student physiotherapists supervision and practice-based learning.

4. To adopt a proactive approach in learning from others within, and outside of the physiotherapy profession.

5. To be responsible for continuing professional development and maintain a portfolio record to evidence this.

6. To maintain contemporary knowledge to apply and maintain best practice in renal, cancer and post operative rehabilitation.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Communication

1. To consistently deploy effective communication and engagement skills enabling effective working relationships with all members of the multi-professional team.

2. To effectively communicate with patients and their carers/family members, including the sensitive management of complex or contentious issues.

3. To communicate effectively with patients suffering from conditions that may lead to psychological distress including anxiety, depression, and aggressive behaviour

4. To overcome barriers to effective communication, such as those caused by pathological impairment or language differences, by deploying effective mitigating strategies.

5. To engage and build relationships with external agencies and providers to enhance patient care continuity and outcomes.

6. To be able to motivate and positively influence others through effective verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

7. Be able to write complex reports accurately describing patients clinical status and ensuring that the information provided aids effective continuing care and clinical management.

Clinical

To enact the professional and legal responsibilities for all aspects of the post-holders own clinical practice.

To carry out comprehensive assessments of patients following hospital admission and surgery, including those with complex presentations, and form treatment and rehabilitation plans in partnership with the patient and their carers/family.

To interpret and analyse multiple sources of clinical information to form accurate physiotherapy diagnoses in renal, cancer and post operative patients; drawing on guidance from senior physiotherapists when required.

To formulate and deliver comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation and discharge plans, based on clinical skills, evidence-based practice, and patient preferences.

To evaluate patient progress against agreed treatment goals and be able to modify plans accordingly.

To determine a patients mental capacity to understand and to gain informed consent for treatment. To work within a legal framework with patients who lack the capacity to consent and are deprived of their liberty.

To co-ordinate intervention where there is a need to collaborate across multiple disciplines.

To maintain accurate written records using an electronic patient record system and maintain fidelity to professional standards.

To determine and mitigate for risk of patient and staff harm using the agreed risk assessment frameworks and the Trusts manual handling policy.

To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions including manual therapy techniques and therapeutic handling

To demonstrate highly developed dexterity, co-ordination and palpatory skills for assessment and manual treatment of patients

To represent physiotherapy and/or individual patients at multi disciplinary team meetings, to ensure delivery of co-ordinated care.

To be an integral part of the teams weekend service provision and participate in the overnight physiotherapy on-call service.

Leadership and management

1. To be responsible for the competent use and maintenance of rehabilitation equipment and support others in the effective and safe use of this equipment.

2. To assist in the supervision, teaching and appraisal of junior staff and assistants.

3. To undertake delegated tasks and roles from the team lead and be able to deputise for them on occasions.

4. To effectively plan and organise own time, patient caseload, meetings, training and be able to adjust plans as required according to staffing levels and unpredictable factors.

5. To assist in the planning of junior staff, students and assistant timetables and deputise for senior staff in organisational duties.

Education and training

1. To organise and contribute to the teams training and post-registration education programme.

2. To contribute to the education of multidisciplinary groups, patients, families and carers as appropriate.

3. To be responsible for individual undergraduate student physiotherapists supervision and practice-based learning.

4. To adopt a proactive approach in learning from others within, and outside of the physiotherapy profession.

5. To be responsible for continuing professional development and maintain a portfolio record to evidence this.

6. To maintain contemporary knowledge to apply and maintain best practice in renal, cancer and post operative rehabilitation.

Research and development

1. To actively participate in the departments quality improvement and clinical audit programme through the completion of authorised projects

2. To implement and maintain evidenced-based physiotherapy practice through continuing professional development

3. To ensure good working knowledge and application of national and local clinical standards

4. To participate in local and national clinical interest groups appropriate to the clinical field, and to demonstrate the ability to share and disseminate knowledge with colleagues working in the team.

Effort

1. To be able to undertake episodes of moderate physical effort for several short periods during a shift.

2. To be able to effectively maintain concentration at work despite frequent interruptions and, at times, an unpredictable working pattern.

3. To tolerate and manage frequent exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances and maintain a high level of professionalism.

4. To tolerate and professionally manage frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions, such as exposure to bodily fluids and offensive odours.

INFECTION CONTROL

Infection control is everyones responsibility. All staff, both clinical and non-clinical, are required to adhere to the Trusts Infection Prevention and Control Policies and make every effort to maintain high standards of Infection Control at all times, thereby reducing the burden of Healthcare Associated Infections including MRSA.

All staff employed by the OUH Trust have the following key responsibilities.

• Staff must wash their hands or use alcohol gel on entry and exit from all clinical areas and/ or between each patient contact.
• Staff members have a duty to attend mandatory infection control training provided for them by the Trust.

Staff members who develop an infection (other than common colds and illness) that may be transmittable to patients have a duty to contact Occupational Health

RISK MANAGEMENT

The management of risk is the responsibility of everyone and will be achieved within a progressive, honest and open environment.

Staff will be provided with the necessary education, training and support to enable them to meet this responsibility.

Staff should be familiar with the following:

• Major Incident Policy
• Fire Policy

and should make themselves familiar with the local response plan and their role with that response.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR HEALTH & SAFETY

The post holder is responsible for ensuring that all duties and responsibilities of this post are carried out in compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Statutory Regulations and Trust Policies and Procedures. This will be supported by the provision of training and specialist advice where required.

FURTHER INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES

This post is subject to obtaining satisfactory clearance in respect of Disclosure of Criminal Convictions. A Disclosure Application Form will be sent to all new appointees with their appointment letter and the completed form must be submitted for verification on the first day of employment.

All physiotherapists must be registered with the Health Professions Council prior to commencing work, and produce the registration document on their first day of employment. Staff must then ensure their registration is maintained according to Trust Policy.

This post is one of continual development. The job description is intended as a guide to the duties and responsibilities of the post. Responsibilities will be reviewed periodically in line with service priorities, and may change, or new duties be introduced after consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

Qualifucations, Experience, Knowledge & Skill

• Degree in Physiotherapy
• Registered with the Health & Care Professions Council
• Broad range of experience at Band 5 level including core areas such as respiratory, orthopaedics, neurology, older adults
• Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Able to assess acutely deteriorating respiratory patients, formulate accurate problem list and provide appropriate physiotherapy input.
• Participation in on-call and weekend rotas
• Experience working with oncology patients
• Experience working with post operative cancer patients
• Competent in tracheostomy management

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.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust