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Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Advanced Clinical Practice Hand Therapist (either Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist) to join our welcoming, knowledgeable, and innovative team at The Royal Free Hospital. We are looking for a driven, autonomous and forward-thinking individual with genuine enthusiasm for the role.
The Hand Therapy team consists of 16 hand therapists supported by 2 therapy assistants across the Royal Free Hospital, Mount Vernon Hospital and with further links to the North Middlesex Hospital. We have a growing team of ACP Hand therapists and a Consultant Hand therapist.
Main duties of the job
You will manage a complex caseload of patients with traumatic and elective hand and upper limb injuries, both surgically and non-surgically managed, from initial assessment through to discharge. In Advanced Clinical Practice you will be integral to the closed hand trauma pathway and work within elective orthopaedic wrist and hand clinics. Working as part of a skilled hand therapy team, you will bring leadership and expertise to ensure patients receive consistently excellent care. You will work closely with the Consultant Hand Therapist, Clinical Lead and fellow Advanced Clinical Practitioners to drive service innovation.
The post-holder will be expected to work with a high degree of personal and professional autonomy, exercising sound judgement to meet the demands of the role with integrity. Excellent communication skills are also essential. If you have the skills to fulfil this role we look forward to receiving your application.
Full time and part time positions available.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Person specification
Others
Essential
- • Able to comply with trust manual handling guidelines
- • Ability to exert moderate to intense physical effort for frequent periods throughout the day
Experience
Essential
- • Substantial post registration experience of working as a Hand therapist managing patients with hand and wrist dysfunctions under plastic surgery and orthopaedics, including elective and trauma hand surgery, and other plastic surgery conditions • Significant
- • Significant experience of working at advanced practice level in Hand therapy
- • Advanced knowledge and experience of a wide range of approaches to the management of complex hand and wrist conditions, demonstrated by clinical reasoning
- • Experience of successful multi-disciplinary team working
- • Experience of leading service development and delivery
- • Experience of student supervision and clinical education
- • Post graduate experience of audit, research, QI and evidence-based practice.
- • Evidence of CPD – reviewing current practice and research developments within hand therapy and its application to clinical practice
- • Experience of research methodology and clinical audit
- • Understanding of the role of hand therapy within current evolving health environment
- • Understanding relevant guidelines, standards and changes in healthcare policy
- • Experience of delivering staff development
- • Experience of treating and managing highly distressed patients in group and individual settings
Desirable
- • Clear understanding of other disciplines’ roles and expectations
- • Evidence of presentation of own research locally/nationally/internationally
- • Experience of facilitating change by collaborating with stakeholders
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- • Exceptional team building and team working skills
- • Leadership qualities and proven clinical leadership ability
- • Ability to work autonomously and across professional boundaries
- • Excellent time management and organisational skills
- • Ability to work with multi-disciplinary team
- • Knowledge of plastic surgery, orthopaedic surgery, wound care and trauma surgery locally and nationally
- • Competent IT skills
- • Able to present information both written and orally, in a clear and logical fashion
- • Excellent presentation skills
- • Ability to focus on project tasks on the computer or desk-side for prolonged periods of time
- • Ability to comprehend and work within trust policies, including data protection, equal opportunities, and health and safety, to meet the differing needs of the patient
- • Ability to focus in an environment with frequent interruptions
Royal Free World Class Values
Essential
- Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust values
Personal Qualities & attributes
Essential
- • Able to recognise in yourself and others work related stress and pressures
- • To manage stressful situations by remaining calm, objective and professional at all times
- • Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills with attention to detail
- • Confidence in teaching multidisciplinary staff groups
- • Confident and assertive when conducting professional affairs
Education & professional Qualifications
Essential
- • Degree / Diploma in Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy
- • HPCP registration
- • Qualified Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist who has extensive experience in the field of Hand Therapy and plastic surgery.
- • Evidence of study at MSc level or being awarded accredited Hand Therapist (BAHT) status
- • Postgraduate Leadership or Management training
Desirable
- • Evidence of post-graduate study in adult education theory
- • Membership of a specialist interest group
- • Independent prescriber qualification
- • Musculoskeletal injection therapy qualification
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Band 8a Advanced Clinical Practitioner Hand and Wrist with Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Nurse practitioner role. The advertised salary is £66,274 - £73,496 per annum inclusive of HCAS. The contract type is Permanent: Full time. The application deadline is 27 Jul 2026.
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