Therapy Assistant - Elective Orthopaedics

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust; Bournemouth; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Therapy Assistant for the Elective Orthopaedics service. The role is Band 3, permanent, 37.5 hours per week with flexible working patterns including evenings and weekends.

Base location is Royal Bournemouth Hospital, with a planned move to Poole in 2027. The post requires assisting in assessment, pre- and post-operative care, and discharge planning, with responsibility for walking aids and equipment provision and delivery throughout

Qualifications

• NVQ III Care/Promoting Independence/Diagnostic and Therapeutic Support or equivalent qualification.
• Previous work as Therapy/Care Assistant with direct patient care.
• Experience working with physical impairment and/or cognitive dysfunction.
• Knowledge of basic rehabilitation techniques.

Responsibilities

• Participate in assessment, pre and post operative treatment and discharge planning.
• Prescription and provision of appropriate walking aids and equipment to facilitate timely discharge.
• Keep accurate records of equipment provision and deliver equipment to other areas of the hospital.
• Manage a busy clinical caseload and be flexible for evening and weekend work patterns.

Skills

Communication skills

Organisation

Flexibility

Teamwork

Education

NVQ III Care/Promoting Independence/Diagnostic and Therapeutic Support or equivalent

Job description

Therapy Assistant - Elective Orthopaedics

Band 3

Main area Therapies - Elective Orthopaedics Grade Band 3 Contract Permanent Hours

• Full time
• Part time

37.5 hours per week (Full Flexibility Required) Job ref 153-SP06735

Department name 01. UHD - General Recruitment Site Royal Bournemouth Hospital Town Bournemouth Salary £25,760 - £27,476 pa Salary period Yearly Closing 20/09/2026 23:59 Interview date 29/09/2026

As University Hospitals Dorset we are a three site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £500m transformation programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support the preparation of their application. While this is not discouraged, we kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of your own experience and suitability. Personal integrity is an important part of the recruitment process.

Job overview

The Team provides a high quality, patient centred service to the inpatient Orthopaedic service, working closely with the multi disciplinary team. Rehabilitation programs are implemented to maximise post operative function and patient satisfaction within an efficient service. Senior team leadership provides a supportive working and learning environment.

We are looking for an enthusiastic Therapy Assistant to join our team. You will participate in the assessment, pre and post operative treatment, management and discharge planning of our Orthopaedic inpatients and day case surgery patients. You will be responsible for the prescription and provision of appropriate walking aids and equipment to facilitate timely discharge. You will be responsible for keeping accurate records of equipment provision for the team and delivering equipment to other areas of the hospital.

You will have excellent communication skills, be highly organised and have the ability to manage a busy clinical caseload. You will have the ability to work flexibly and participate in the team’s evening and 7 day work patterns to ensure optimal patient care and throughput. Weekend working is usually based on a 1 in 4 pattern. Flexible working pattern will be considered.

This is a permanent position for 37.5 Hours per week.

Base Location: Royal Bournemouth Hospital, moving to Poole - expected March 2027.

Interview: 29th September

Main duties of the job

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert

Working for our organisation

UHD are investing, developing and transforming Trust services in line with the New Hospital Programme. As part of this, some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or permanently. Recruiting Managers will be happy to answer any service-specific questions at interview.

If a role or service relocates as part of a planned move, excess mileage will not bereimbursed. Travel from home to the new work base will be classed as a normal commute. Any other changes will be managed under Trust or national terms and conditions.

UHD has active networks including Women’s, DEN, Pride, EU, Pro Ability, and Armed Forces. We support Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant interview schemes.

AI tools may be used, but applications must honestly reflect your own skills and experience. Integrity is key to our recruitment process

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert

Person specification

Other

• Ability to drive a manual car and hold a clean driver’s license

Qualifications

• NVQ III Care/Promoting Independence/or Diagnostic and Therapeutic Support or equivalent qualification

Experience

• Previous work as Therapy/Care Assistant, where direct patient care is involved
• Working with patients with Physical Impairment and/or Cognitive dysfunction
• Previous experience in generic therapy role

Knowledge

• The effects of physical and cognitive impairment, on skills, abilities and lifestyle.
• The role of Therapy in a physical setting
• Basic rehabilitation techniques

Please note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.