Team Lead Physiotherapist- Trauma and Orthopaedics

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1.8 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 15,000 staff based across five main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services and specialist services from Denmark Hill in Camberwell and the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) in Bromley. We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. You can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

Job Overview

• Provide highly specialist physiotherapy intervention for a personal caseload of orthopaedic patients, including trauma, major trauma, fractured neck of femur, plastics, amputees and elective cases.
• Assess, treat and manage the caseload using highly specialist knowledge and skills as an autonomous practitioner, including maintaining comprehensive records.
• Act as a team leader alongside the Clinical Lead Physiotherapists.
• Develop, manage, plan and deliver the physiotherapy service for orthopaedic patients, including specialist units such as the major trauma unit.
• Deputise for the Clinical Lead Physiotherapists in their absence.
• Supervise, teach and develop less experienced physiotherapists, physiotherapy assistants and student physiotherapists.

Main duties of the job

• Efficient, effective and safe management of patients referred to a designated area of the physiotherapy inpatient orthopaedic service.
• Receive referrals, undertake full assessment and independently plan individual, specialised, evidence‑based treatment programmes for patients based on diagnosis, clinical reasoning and highly specialist skills such as posture and seating management, complex discharge planning, falls management, dementia and delirium management.
• Carry a significant clinical orthopaedic caseload, including highly complex and diverse patient groups such as those with multi‑factorial pathologies and social needs.
• Play an active role in effective team working in the physiotherapy department, leading, assisting and supporting other team members.

Detailed responsibilities

• Prioritise work efficiently, taking into account clinical and service priorities and using highly specialist knowledge to underpin decisions.
• Attend weekly MDT meetings to discuss rehab needs for the trauma and orthopaedic cohort and discharge plans.
• Advise, guide and teach less experienced physiotherapists, assistants and students within King’s College Hospital in assessment and management of orthopaedic patients and other aspects of clinical care, including record keeping.
• Maintain a flexible approach to working, including active membership of the weekend duty orthopaedic rota.
• Ensure the standard of physiotherapy carried out by the designated team, including students and assistants.
• Work with the Clinical Lead Physiotherapists to optimise capacity in trauma/orthopaedics in line with best practice.
• Contribute to the physiotherapy in‑service training programme for staff and students, facilitating learning and providing teaching sessions for seniors, juniors, assistants and students.

Person specification

• HCPC registered.
• Degree in physiotherapy.
• Evidence of Masters level work – demonstrated by CPD, evidence‑based practice and external postgraduate lecturing.
• Membership of a clinical interest group.

• Specialist knowledge of conditions and problems associated with trauma and orthopaedics.
• Ability to prioritise workload for self and others effectively.
• Senior postgraduate experience in inpatient trauma orthopaedics.
• Knowledge of Clinical Governance and its implications for the physiotherapy service.
• Experience of working in busy environments with interruptions during the day.

• Ability to assess, plan and progress treatments appropriately.
• Ability to pass on skills and knowledge to others in formal and informal settings.
• Excellent team working skills.
• IT skills, including keyboard and word processing.
• Problem‑solving skills, including working under pressure.

Important

Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you. Do not delete this job ad from any of your accounts to avoid being prevented from accessing further communications. To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert. Please provide email addresses for referees where possible. Review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy. All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role. Although the closing date is given as a guide, we may close a vacancy early due to the number of applications received. Submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.