Job overview
Are you enthusiastic and passionate about working with people in a fast-paced, acute care setting? Are you looking to develop your leadership and clinical skills in Orthopaedics and Surgery?
Then we might have the job for you! We are looking for an enthusiastic, experienced Occupational Therapist to join our inpatient Orthopaedic and Surgical therapy team at Watford General Hospital.
This post is offered part-time for 23.5hrs a week and we welcome discussion of these hours being over 3 or 4 days but do require the post holder to work on a Monday.
The Occupational Therapy team have core working hours of 8:00 am-16:00 pm and is part of a 7-day working rota (frequency of 1:6 weekends) with rest days in the following week.
This post is based on acute hospital wards and NHS experience in Orthopaedics and Surgery is essential.
Main duties of the job
You will be leading the team alongside another Band 7, providing OT clinical expertise in Orthopaedics and Surgery.
The clinical areas this post includes:
Trauma & Orthopaedics – working with the MDT to facilitate an ‘enablement approach’ to rehabilitation and supported discharge of trauma orthopaedic patients. This can include # NOF patients, head injuries and spinal cord injuries.
Surgical – working across surgical wards in the acute hospital to provide assessment and intervention to patients following acute surgery, including new amputees.
Discharge planning skills are key to this post, and you will need to be able to make timely decisions regarding transfer to community services and managing referrals to specialist units.
You should have a caring, committed and quality focused approach to the provision of patient care.
You will need to be a dynamic team leader with excellent communication skills.
You will lead on appraisals and development of more junior staff and will lead on service development projects /audits within the department.
You will be supported with your personal development by the Therapy Team Leads with opportunities for additional training based on your personal development plan.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for a full list of duties and details about the role.
Person specification
Knowledge:
Essential
- Understanding of organisational structure of the NHS and Social Care.
- Demonstrate an ability to provide professional/clinical leadership.
- Understanding of Standards – Health Care Professions Council/COT/BAOT/Local/National.
- Understanding policies and procedures (local e.g. Health and Safety).
- Specialist knowledge of acute post-surgical Occupational Therapy management and pathways, including amputees, trauma and acute Orthopaedics.
- Demonstrate evidence of service development / QI projects/ audits
- Demonstrate understanding of clinical governance and the implications of the service.
Experience:
Essential
- Ability to teach and present to qualified/non-qualified staff and other disciplines, in groups or individually, using a variety of media.
- Ability to lead clinical education of less experienced staff, students, or assistants.
- Documented evidence of Continued Professional Development of expanded and highly specialised knowledge and skills in surgical & Orthopaedics OT.
- Senior level experience working with patient following major surgery, amputees and trauma patients.
- Broad range of rotational experience including neuro and elderly care.
- Attendance at post graduate courses in relevant fields (specific to the post).
Desirable
- Experience of leading competency training / IST.
Education and qualifications:
Essential
- Member of Professional Body or equivalent recognised by Health Care Professionals Council.
- Occupational Therapy degree qualification or equivalent and NHS experience.
- Documented evidence of Continued Professional Development of expanded and highly specialised knowledge and skills.
- Attendance at a Clinical Educators Course.
- Substantive post registration experience.
Desirable
- Attained or working towards a Post Graduate Degree/qualification.
- Evidence of leadership courses / training.
- Membership of a professional Special Interest Group or National or Regional Network – ie. BACPAR.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Band 7 - Occupational Therapist, Orthopaedics and Surgery with West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in Watford, East of England, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Occupational Therapist role. The advertised salary is £51,657 - £58,785 pa inc HCA pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 04 Aug 2026.
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