Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist

Job overview

We are excited to offer an opportunity for a Band 7 Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist to join our Cardiothoracic team. This role will primarily be based across the Cardiothoracic and Cardiology bed base, with additional in-reach responsibilities supporting Critical Care services.

If you are passionate about supporting patients during the acute phase of illness and thrive in a fast-paced, complex clinical environment, this could be the role for you.

We are seeking an experienced Occupational Therapist with a strong background in acute and ward-based NHS care, and experience working with acutely unwell patients. The post is primarily based within the Cardiothoracic bed base, with opportunities to work into the  Critical Care Units as clinically required.

This is an exciting time to join an expanding Occupational Therapy service, where you will play a key role in shaping and developing OT provision within Cardiothoracic and critical care areas. You will lead on service development, contributing to innovative practice and ensuring high-quality patient care.

Closing Date: Please be advised that this job advert will close as soon as sufficient applications have been received. Please apply for this job as soon as you can, if interested.

Successful applicants will be required to provide an immunisation and vaccination report, from either their current UK occupational health provider or their UK GP.

Main duties of the job

• Provide a highly specialist, high standard therapy service, assessing and advising on patients care & treatment, as an autonomous practitioner within the defined patient group.
• Lead the Therapy staff across the service area providing clinical supervision and training, liaising with other appropriate Therapy leads to ensure an integrated service is provided for the service area.
• Ensure development of junior staff through supervision, training and annual appraisal.
• Participate in the planning, development and evaluation of clinical practice & service development within area.
• Contribute to the maintenance and development of the Trust Occupational Therapy / Physiotherapy service. Take a lead for information management to ensure high quality data which is recorded, evaluated & reported in a timely manner.
• Provide a source of expert clinical opinion on Cardiothoracic for other health professionals, both internal and external to the Trust.
• To participate in 7-day working patterns, including Bank Holidays.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Be professionally & legally responsible & accountable for all aspects of own work including the management of patients in own care. Ensure a high standard of clinical care for patients under own management & support more junior staff to do likewise.
• Interpret & analyse clinical & non-clinical facts to form accurate diagnosis & prognosis in on wide range of highly complex conditions to recommend the best course of intervention, evaluate outcomes, reassess & to develop comprehensive treatment plans.
• Undertake comprehensive assessment of patients including those with complex presentation, investigate & analyse skills & formulate individualised management & treatment plans to formulate specialised programmes of care.
• Assess patient understanding of treatment proposals & gain informed consent in order to work within the legal framework for patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment.
• Accept clinical responsibility for own caseload & organise this effectively & efficiently with regard to the clinical progress the patient. Oversee/supervise the caseload of more junior staff to ensure patients are prioritised according to acuity of need across the service areas.
• Provide highly specialist clinical technical services contributing to diagnosis, care of treatment within the speciality as appropriate.
• Maintain a clean safe environment ensuring adherence to Trust standards of cleanliness hygiene & infection control at all times.
• Work with Consultants and other agencies to refer patients and develop the strategic & operational management of the specialist service area within the relevant professional service guidelines & practices.
• Provide spontaneous & planned advice, teaching & instruction to relatives, carers & other professionals to promote understanding of the aims of the Therapy Department and to ensure a constant approach to patient care.
• Regularly manage expected & unexpected clinical events requiring high & unpredictable levels of physical effort according to patient dependency & clinical need.
• Abide by the appropriate professional body and the Health & Care Professions Council standards of proficiency.

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for further details