First Contact PhysiotherapistNHS

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated Advanced Physiotherapist to join our team.

The first contact physiotherapist role supports the delivery of MSK assessment and signposting within primary care, working closely with the wider clinical team to help us deliver the highest standards of care for our patients.

Would you like to be part of our supportive, enthusiastic and proactive team?

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be the first point of contact for expert clinical assessment and diagnosis of patients presenting with MSK conditions in the practice. They will need highly developed differential diagnostic skills to ensure patients are managed safely, efficiently, and effectively.

They will direct the care pathway for their patients autonomously, including assessment and diagnostics, provision of diagnosis, appropriate self-care advice or onward referral as indicated.

They should understand indications for, and limitations of, relevant MSK investigations, and will be confident in explaining their use and implications to patients.

Job description

Clinical

• To be the first point of clinical contact for patients presenting with MSK conditions or symptoms, providing the patient with the primary assessment, diagnosis and management options for their condition.
• Use advance clinical practice skills and clinical reasoning to provide comprehensive diagnostic and treatment support patients who present with complex musculoskeletal conditions and/or multiple pathologies and/or mental health and/or pain management needs.
• Independently request diagnostic tests including routine and specialist x-rays, MRI imaging, ultrasound scans and blood and other pathology tests. Interpret the results alongside traditional physiotherapeutic assessment techniques and non-clinical information to aid clinical diagnosis and decisions on potential treatment options/clinical interventions.
• Carry own caseload as an autonomous practitioner, providing direct clinical/physiotherapeutic care for patients with a range of complex musculo-skeletal conditions and who may have significant other primary or secondary conditions/multipathologies.

Non-medical prescribing

• Use professional judgement and advanced clinical reasoning skills to make decisions about safe and effective patient care in unpredictable situations, including when there is incomplete/contradictory information.
• To be able to work autonomously as a lone practitioner.
• Be able to demonstrate understanding of the impact of physiotherapeutic interventions on existing conditions and treatment programmes e.g. podiatric treatment, drug therapies, etc. Ensuring physiotherapy interventions are integrated and supportive of the whole treatment aims promoting a holistic approach to condition management.
• Be able to clinically justify referral onto appropriate MSK pathways within the community or wider healthcare services. Including referral to the appropriate stage of the pathway and the use of social prescribing
• For patients managed as part of own caseload take the lead for the management of the patients journey on their care pathway, acting as the link for the patient between primary care and other services/professionals.
• Be able to justify clinically referrals to other specialist services. This will include referral to acute and specialist services such as surgical orthopaedics, rheumatology and neurology, other AHP services, nursing services and to the primary care medical teams. This requires advanced knowledge of the role of other specialist health professionals.
• An ability to recognise potential underlying non-MSK related disease and conditions that present as MSK symptoms and to refer appropriately. When needed accelerate the patients referral to other health professionals/services.
• Work in partnership with the patient at all times to attain maximum participation in treatment programmes. This will include working with patients from diverse social background and cultures and understanding how this will affect treatment proposals and models.
• Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients:
• Use effective shared decision making with a range of first line management options (appropriate for the persons level of activation)
• Assess levels of Patient Activation to confirm levels of knowledge, skills and confidence to self-manage
• Agree appropriate support for self-management through referral to rehabilitation focused services and social prescribing provision.
• Provide expert advice and act as source of expertise in the management of musculoskeletal conditions and provide a specialist advisory service to patients, specialist physiotherapists other specialist healthcare professionals and members of the primary care team. Including advising GPs on management of MSK conditions.
• Provide advice, instruction and teaching on aspects of management of a condition to patients, relatives, carers and other health professionals.
• Continually review and develop specialist clinical and diagnostic skills in response to service need.
• Be accountable for own decisions and actions via HCPC registration and professional standards. Service/Professional Leadership/Consultancy
• Plan and organise the FCP service efficiently, ensuring delivery in-line with service expectations.
• Integrate the FCP role into the wider primary care team, proactively working with the primary care team to build robust relationships and integrate working practices. Attending primary care strategic and practice level meetings to represent FCP/physiotherapy when appropriate.
• Contribute to the development of referral guidelines for MSK and MSK related conditions from primary care to other NHS services that will direct referrals to other primary care services, community, secondary and tertiary [specialist] services.
• Work with other specialists to support the development of MSK pathways across the primary care network. This may include contributing to pathways that are not primary MSK pathways, but which have MSK interventions along the pathway.
• Work with the primary care team to support preventative strategies for local populations, patient groups and individuals.
• Participate in peer networking and support underpinned by active engagement in peer review and embracing evidence-based practice.
• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of wider health, healthcare and social care agencies related to MSK conditions and physiotherapy.
• Contribute to organisational and service policies that support the maintenance of good clinical governance, manage risk and ensure patient safety is paramount. Be responsible for identifying and reporting any risk/clinical governance issues in the FCP service.
• Contribute to monitoring and review of service standards for MSK primary care services. Including established clinical, professional and service standards.
• Be aware of and able to demonstrate how the FCP role contributes to the achievement of key performance indicators [KPIs] for MSK primary care services. Identifying where own FCP role is supporting delivery of KPIs.
• Work within the FCP service, contributing to the development of musculoskeletal physiotherapy and related services across the healthcare economy.
• Participate in/support investigations into complaints and clinical errors/incidents when appropriate.

Education/Workforce Development

• Be responsible for leading and developing education and training of specialist physiotherapists up-to post graduate level to support the development of advanced clinical practice skills and knowledge within the wider physiotherapy workforce.
• Provide training and supervision, some of which maybe to postgraduate level, for specialist primary care professionals, including GPs in order for them to develop specialist MSK patient referral and management skills.
• Provide and receive clinical supervision and be an active provider of mentoring and coaching of specialist clinicians from a range of disciplines.
• Maintain a professional portfolio of advanced clinical practice knowledge and skills through participation in internal and external development opportunities.

Research and Evaluation

• To initiate, design and evaluate an audit strategy and tools to evaluate the effectiveness of the FCP MSK services in collaboration with the primary care MDT.
• Promote and lead the integration of evidence-based practice and national guidelines into own and local FCP MSK service practice. Use expert knowledge of evidence- based guidelines and national frameworks to influence the development of FCP services within the primary care team
• Lead or participate in research and MDT research projects as appropriate. This may include participation in cross organisational research and audit programmes.
• Present and disseminate research and clinical audit findings to the primary care team. Providing analysis of local and national data sets to illustrate service improvements and to promote service change.
• To maintain and up-date audit and data derived from a range of data sets in order provide statistical reports on outcome measures and achievement of KPIs for a range of audiences.
• Use audit and research to develop and improve service guidelines, care protocols, delivery of triage services and referral pathways. Communication/Building Networks
• Promote and explain the FCP role and what it can deliver to a range of audiences including patient groups, individual patients and other primary care team members, including GPs.
• Communicate effectively and appropriately with patients and their carers. This will include explaining the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment choices available to manage multi-pathology and complex conditions. It will also involve communicating limitations on treatment outcomes and managing expectations of patients with chronic or life limiting conditions.

About us

We are a large training practice based in a comfortable purpose built premises only minutes away from Tottenham Hale and Seven Sisters stations.

We are passionate about improving outcomes for patients with musculoskeletal conditions to improve their physical and mental health.

We provide a weekly chair-based exercise class through the PCN at the local Tottenham leisure centre with a fitness instructor, to help deconditioned patients develop baseline mobility and strength to improve their conditions and reduce their risk of falls with aging.

Our aim is to provide quality services in a caring and friendly environment and offer a supportive working environment to all members of our team.

We are keen to support training and personal development and have a GP with an MSc in Sports Medicine able to perform steroid injections.